HUD to resume housing inspections

HUD Secretary Fudge has announced that HUD will substantially increase housing inspections beginning on June 1, 2021. Thirteen months ago, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with public health guidance, HUD took many steps to protect HUD-assisted households and the people who provide that assistance from exposure to COVID-19. Among those steps was the suspension of most in-person housing inspections by the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) last year along with waivers that enabled Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and Multifamily housing owners and managers to reduce activities that could contribute to COVID-19 transmission.

Multifamily housing owners and property managers were informed on Friday that HUD has developed detailed protocols guiding all aspects of the inspection process. HUD, in collaboration with the CDC, will implement additional protocols and associated safety measures, including:

• The inspection of high priority/risk properties for both the Public Housing and Multifamily portfolios before other properties;
• Evaluation of known property-specific health conditions prior to the inspection;
• Regular COVID-19 testing of inspectors and efforts to facilitate the vaccination of inspectors;
• Travel and quarantine guidelines for inspectors;
• Detailed operational protocols for inspectors pre-inspection, during the inspection, and post-inspection reviewed by the CDC;
• Ability for residents to opt-out of unit inspections when inspectors arrive on-site.