The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development told MHProNews on 8.7.2020 that they will be “safely resume physical inspections.”
It is a clear indication that HUD and the Trump Administration continue to push re-opening the economy and ‘business as usual’ as much as possible. Following their media release, there will be an MHProNews analysis and commentary in brief.
Inspections previously paused during COVID-19 outbreak due to health concerns
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced today the Department will resume Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspections of HUD multifamily and public housing properties and units under strict safety protocols during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
REAC inspections are the assessment tool that ensures HUD assisted properties meet federal standards of health, safety, and accessibility. REAC inspections were paused due to the Coronavirus outbreak in March of 2020.
“As we continue to fight this invisible enemy and learn more about the safety precautions needed to keep our HUD residents and staff safe, we are able to bring back critical functions of the Department,” said Secretary Carson. “Physical inspections are vital in ensuring the health and safety of the Americans who reside in properties enrolled in HUD’s programs, and I am very pleased to announce today they are resuming.”
”REAC inspections provides a critical service in HUD assisted properties to ensure residents are living in safe and decent housing. I believe we have found a solution to continue this important function while keeping staff, residents, and inspectors healthy,” said Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
To keep the residents and staff of HUD properties safe during the inspection process, REAC will prioritize inspections in states and localities based on the latest COVID-19 data from Johns Hopkins University and health risk scoring methodology from the Harvard Global Health Institute. REAC has developed a heat map that categorizes states and localities into four risk categories:
- Low Risk – Green
- Moderately Low Risk – Yellow
- Moderately High Risk – Orange
- High Risk – Red
REAC will provide a listing on its website of low-risk counties 45 days prior to the start of physical inspections. At the end of the 45-day period, REAC will provide a 14-day notification to priority properties in that county to inform families that an inspection will take place. The first outreach from inspectors to properties will start no earlier than September 21, 2020. A comprehensive list of safe inspection locations, as well as an overview of the methodology used to determine them can be found on the website here. Inspectors will prioritize properties with historically low REAC scores (high-risk properties) in Low Risk (Green) localities. These locations will change over time, and HUD will adjust its inspection plans as needed. For additional information on HUD’s coronavirus response efforts, please visit HUD.gov/coronavirus.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
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MHProNews Analysis and Commentary in Brief
Much of the Trump Administration has been demonstrating in word and by action that they are focused on getting the economy up and running as much as possible.
While this only obliquely relates to manufactured housing, it is published with that point of the apparent trends from the Trump Administration in mind. In this environment where the Trump Administration is looking for wins and apparent victories, it ought to be an ideal time for the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) to press for the full and proper enforcement of laws designed to benefit manufactured housing and affordable home ownership.
So why is it that MHI is failing to make such a push? Why is the industry’s new home sales struggling relative to mainstream and more costly conventional housing or RVs?
See the related reports here and below the byline and notices for more.
There is always more to come, so stay tuned with the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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