Resident Involvement in REAC NSPIRE Inspection Process
As part of the NSPIRE pilot process, HUD has announced that additional processes will be added to engage the residents in the REAC/NSPIRE process. You can read the press release on HUD’s website. The statement includes a new process for adding more units to an inspection sample in conjunction with a resident group or board and incorporating resident involvement in the selection of these additional units. There is an undefined inference to a risk model to be used in scenarios where there is no resident board or group, which appears to indicate an effort to include possibly high-risk units.
Proposed Changes to Unit Sampling as Part of NSPIRE
HUD has decided to incorporate new procedures into the NSPIRE Demonstration. HUD will test for the best method for including up to five additional dwelling units [to the inspection sample], identified in advance by a resident’s group. In a scenario where a resident’s group is not available, use a risk model to select units above and beyond those selected by sample. REAC believes this will improve transparency and trust in the inspection process.
The Department of Housing and Urban Developement (HUD) is researching best practices in stakeholder engagement through the design and conduct of resident surveys, as well as designing ways to integrate the survey findings into the NSPIRE Demonstration. HUD is committed to exploring advanced technology solutions and data collection methods that will provide an additional mechanism for resident feedback and improve the REAC inspection process. HUD believes this new procedure will ultimately improve REAC’s responsiveness and understanding of resident concerns.