As part of HUD’s continuing effort to support “decent, safe and sanitary housing,” Secretary Carson is leading a wholesale re-examination of how the Department conducts inspections to ensure private owners are meeting this standard. As HUD continues its internal review of these inspection protocols, the Department is exploring immediate improvements and those refinements over the long-term. In the end, the goal is to design a new simplified inspection system more focused on the physical conditions within housing units and to place a greater emphasis on lead-based paint hazards and mold.
In June of 2018, Secretary Carson launched HUD’s Protect our Kids!, a Department wide enforcement campaign to get landlords and sellers of older homes to fulfill their responsibilities to disclose lead-based paint hazards in their properties. The campaign will also work to ensure that all federally assisted homes are lead-safe. The objective of the campaign is to review and ensure compliance with regulations that are intended to reduce the potential of lead poisoning in children, in both privately owned homes and those receiving federal assistance. Click here to read more.
Additionally, HUD has issued Housing Notice H 2018-08, “Servicing of Projects That Do Not Meet HUD’s Physical Condition Standards and Inspection Requirements (PCS&IR) or Fail to Certify That Exigent Health and Safety (EH&S) Deficiencies Have Been Resolved as Required.” This Notice provides guidance to Office of Multifamily Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight staff for implementing certain sections of the 2017 and 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act that apply to projects subject to HUD’s Physical Conditions Standards and Inspection Requirements under two conditions related to physical inspections: the property scores below 60, or a project owner fails timely and proper certification in writing about Exigent Health and Safety deficiencies identified.
