A Pending Notice to the Federal Register was published on June 15, 2023, Docket No. FR-6086-N-05 for the NSPIRE Standards. The notice provides HUD’s responses to public comments on the standards. The new standards are scheduled to be published on or before June 20, 2023. In the pending notice, HUD provides vital updates to the standards. While we are still waiting for the final language, there is much that we can see now.
Some highlights of the NSPIRE Notice
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- HOTMA Life Threatening List – This notice clarifies that Life Threatening deficiencies in NSPIRE will apply to all voucher programs, not only those choosing to implement the Non-Life-Threatening provision offered under HOTMA and PIH Notice 2017-20.
- Smoke Detectors – This notice clarifies that as of December 29, 2024, all smoke detectors which are solely battery-operated will have to have sealed, tamper-proof batteries. It will not be an NSPIRE deficiency until that time.
- Entry Doors – The severity of entry door deficiencies has been increased to Life-Threatening, even if the door is not a fire-labeled door.
- Egress – The standard has been clarified to only apply to bedroom windows, removing living room and other non-bedroom windows from egress deficiencies. Additional clarification is expected to be part of the final standard update.
- Electrical Conductors – A missing light bulb can no longer be cited as an exposed electrical conductor. The missing bulb can be cited as an issue with the lighting fixture but not as a life-threatening exposed electrical conductor.
- GFCI – The GFCI requirement has two clarifications: 1) the standard has been moved from “Outlets” to the “GFCI/AFCI” section of NSPIRE, and 2) the notice clarifies that “protected” means GFCI or AFCI protection.
- New Electrical Hazard – A deficiency has been added: “Water is currently in contact with an electrical conductor” under the title “Leak – Electrical”
- Graffiti – The standard for Graffiti has been removed. Any graffiti found on a property will no longer be cited.
- Handrails – The deficiency for “missing handrail” has been divided into two separate deficiencies – one where the missing handrail shows evidence that the handrail used to be in place but was removed, and a second deficiency for handrails that are missing and there is no evidence of the handrail being installed previously.
- Infestation – HUD clarifies that proof of repair/correction for infestation can include submission of an integrated pest management plan with the understanding that, while pests may still be present at the start of the pest management plan
- Mold-Like Substances – There are a few changes to this standard. One is that moisture-damaged surfaces under 4 square inches have been removed as a deficiency. Additionally, the use of moisture meters has been included, though specific details are still pending. The notice states, “The moisture meter will be used to record values for moist surfaces that have already been visually identified as apparently moist by visual assessment.”
- Sprinkler heads – HUD added a new clarification in this notice. Small flecks of paint will not be cited as a Deficiency in the Final NSPIRE Sprinkler Assembly Standard. Corrosion has been added as a separate Deficiency in the Final Standard
- Fire Extinguishers – Tenant-owned fire extinguishers will not be inspected under NSPIRE.
- Window Screens – It was clarified that window screens are indeed a window component and will be cited if damaged or missing (with signs that a screen was previously installed)
- Safe Water Standards: The NSPIRE safe drinking water component will only entail 1) visual inspection for lead service lines and 2) assessment (via an information request, not physical inspection) if there has been a water outage or water alert and the response if an outage or alert has occurred. This is solely for the purpose of data collection and will not be scored. This will be covered in more detail in the administrative notice.
- Requirement for Permanent Heat Sources: HUD will require permanent heating sources in all locales except for Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
Stay tuned for additional updates on the final NSPIRE standards, which are anticipated in the next few days.
