The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be conducting surveys with residents whose homes are assessed using the new NSPIRE inspection protocol. These surveys aim to pinpoint issues within the inspection process and steer HUD’s initiatives to enhance the overall living conditions and satisfaction of residents.
This survey seeks to understand residents’ perspectives based on their experiences with the physical inspections, whether carried out by federal HUD/REAC inspectors or HUD-contracted inspectors, specifically for those residences subjected to a REAC physical evaluation. Only residents who have had their units inspected will receive the survey.
The survey will be brief, taking about five minutes to complete, and will include the following questions:
- Whether the resident was present during the inspection;
- The resident’s trust in HUD’s provision of safe and habitable housing;
- The resident’s level of satisfaction with their current housing conditions;
- The resident’s level of satisfaction with the HUD inspection process.
For the latter three questions, residents will express their level of agreement or disagreement on a five-point scale, from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree.”
Additionally, residents will have the chance to share further comments. These remarks could prompt HUD to undertake further inspections if the feedback suggests significant concerns with the property’s condition.
Under the NSPIRE program, a random selection of units within a property will be inspected, along with any five units nominated by a resident organization.
Post-inspection, inspectors will distribute survey flyers in the homes they’ve assessed. If the kitchen counter isn’t an option, flyers will be placed in another prominent location within the unit. These flyers will provide a link or QR code to the survey site, offering residents a voluntary and confidential means to participate.
It’s important to note that the NSPIRE resident survey is distinct from previous surveys as its findings will not influence HUD’s evaluation of multifamily sites. The data collected through these surveys will not contribute to the NSPIRE scoring system used to determine the overall condition, health, and safety of the properties and units inspected.