HUD REAC has released updates to the online systems used for NSPIRE inspections. Since its launch in 2023, the HUD NSPIRE online portal has presented ongoing challenges for stakeholders, including a difficult user interface, limited functionality, and technical issues.
HUD REAC has been working to correct these issues and create a better user experience for HUD Stakeholders, and the May 1, 2025 release of updates focused on resolving some long standing issues.
One of the most vital functions of the NSPIRE portal is providing industry stakeholders with a way to submit evidence of repairs to life threatening and severe NSPIRE Issues. HUD REAC has provided a step by step guide on how to resolve health and safety issues online, this guide can be downloaded by clicking here.
Currently the NSPIRE online portal is designed to remind contacts assigned to a property about open issues every week until they have all been marked as resolved.
“You will eventually have to upload proof of mitigation to the NSPIRE System once the system has been updated. Additionally, you will continue to receive automatic notifications until you submit proof of mitigation in the NSPIRE System.”
In other words, might as well do the repairs, because they aren’t going to give up until you do.
Upcoming Enhancements to the NSPIRE Portal
What’s coming next? HUD REAC indicates that the changes to the user interface for the HUD REAC NSPIRE portal include some long anticipated enhancements, most notably this includes the ability to resolve issues by bulk correction: HUD REAC indicates that the upcoming enhancements will include “ability to upload evidence of mitigation of defects in bulk”.
Self-Inspection Requirements?
HUD REAC included a copy of the NSPIRE final rule in their most recent correspondence as a way of reminding industry stakeholders of the entire NSPIRE initiatives.
This is a good time for property owners and agents to familiarize themselves once again with all of the requirements that are part of NSPIRE. Particularly important is the requirement for annual self-inspections to be conducted using the NSPIRE standards:
“As required by 24 CFR 5.707, for Public Housing and Multifamily Housing properties subject to an assistance contract, PHAs and POAs are required to perform self-inspections of all units at least annually. The timing of individual unit inspection is not specified in the regulations and may be done in conjunction with tenant re-examinations or at the conclusion of the REAC inspection,12 provided each is inspected at least annually. When conducting inspections, PHAs and POAs must ensure compliance with the affirmative requirements and the NSPIRE Standards for all units, not just those that are occupied at the time of the inspection.”
The affirmative NSPIRE standards require properties to adhere to guidance that may be new to them, such as meeting new requirements on handrails, guardrails, GFCI protection, and smoke and CO alarms. While these are still non-scoring, the NSPIRE final rule specifies that these new requirements need to have been met during the first year on annual self-inspections. Many of the currently non-scoring affirmative standards are set to become scoring defects on October 1, 2025.
Properties that have not made the necessary corrections are considered out of compliance, as the expectation was that all identified issues would be resolved during last year’s self-inspection cycle. It is critical that these inspections be performed using the NSPIRE standards—not legacy inspection protocols.
HUD field office staff have begun requesting copies of annual self-inspection results. As required, PHAs and POAs must retain this inspection data for a minimum of three years. It is therefore essential that comprehensive NSPIRE-compliant inspections are conducted annually for all units at every property, and that the resulting documentation is properly maintained and readily accessible for submission to HUD upon request.
