On June 18, 2025, HUD released updated notes on the status of the NSPIRE Implementation for REAC Inspections. This update included status updates on enhancements to the online portal. This included the following two items:
- REAC has implemented a bug fix to ensure the H&S and Inspection report includes the inspection ID number on all reports generated.
- REAC has updated the point of contact user requirement to select a Mitigation status value from the drop-down menu provided; a selection of “none” is no longer available.
Additionally, new enhancements were added to expand on the capacity for providing documentation for Lead Based Paint disclosure form collection. Documents uploaded to the NSPIRE portal will have date, time and owner name recorded. Properties will have to ensure that all disclosure documents are uploaded prior to a REAC NSPIRE Inspection.
Tracking Inspector Performance on NSPIRE Inspections
Most importantly, this update included details of a change to the inspection process that is enhancing time tracking of inspections while the inspectors are on-site. These time tracking stamps were not part of the NSPIRE process prior to this point, and the absence of objective tracking has been evident in the inspection results.
HUD’s notice included the following,
The Inspection process will now capture time stamps for the inspection duration for the overall inspection process, for each day of an inspection when it is multi-day, as well as for each unit being inspected. Time stamps collection will also include image capturing at multiple start and stop points.
These timestamps will include inspection start and end times, including required images enabled for each day of the inspection. Also, image captures will be required at the start and end of every unit inspection. This will ensures that inspectors do not prematurely start time tracking for the next unit at the immediate conclusion of the prior unit (which is something that has been widely reported).
Time Tracking to Foster Better Performance on NSPIRE Inspections
Hopefully, this enhancement will greatly improve on the quality of NSPIRE inspections, which have been inconsistent, with the majority of NSPIRE inspections being completed far ahead of schedule with much less time spent in units than anticipated.
Faster paced NSPIRE inspections have lead to uncertainty on what the NSPIRE inspection standards include and don’t include. To many in the industry, with NSPIRE being “new”, the perception has been that the on-the-ground inspection experience is an accurate representation of the new inspection protocol.
However, in reality, most inspectors have received minimal training on the new standards, and many of the inspections have simply lacked proper oversight. These new steps to provide uniform tracking mechanisms and ensure that inspectors are spending an appropriate amount of time in each unit and on the inspection overall.
If NSPIRE Inspections are being applied unevenly, and this leads to a general perception that inspectors are “easy”, this will eventually lead to a situation where training and oversight over inspections catches up and leaves many properties with failing scores when reality and perception intersect.
