Research & Innovations

Housing Mobility

PHAs are developing innovative strategies to enable more voucher residents to live in high opportunity neighborhoods with access to resources critical to their long-term success. There is considerable research suggesting that HCV program participants, especially those with young children, achieve better outcomes when they are able to use their voucher in a safe neighborhood with access to quality schools. CLPHA, along with the Poverty and Race and Research Action Council (PRRAC) sponsors the biennial National Housing Mobility Conference, which features presenters from the realms of research, policy, and practice to bring attendees up to date on developments in the field and spark discussions that will push the work forward.

Housing Mobility News

7.11.23

Mayor Eric Adams Appoints Lisa Bova-Hiatt as Permanent CEO of NYCHA

From New York City Mayor Eric Adams' press release:

Following a national search, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today appointed Jamie Rubin as chair of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) board and elevated Lisa Bova-Hiatt to be permanent CEO of the Authority. Rubin comes to NYCHA with three decades of experience in government, nonprofits, and the private sector, including leading the New York State Governor's Office of Storm Recovery, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and President Barack Obama's Hurricane Sandy Recovery and Rebuilding Task Force. He will oversee the seven-member board that advises and votes on contracts, rules, regulations, and other administrative matters. Bova-Hiatt permanently assumes the role of CEO running day-to-day operations after nearly a year in the role on an interim basis and more than 25 years in the public sector, including at the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery and The City University of New York (CUNY). Rubin and Bova-Hiatt's appointments are the result of an extensive national search conducted by New York City, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). Mayor Adams, HUD, and SDNY will continue working together on improving NYCHA and on further reforms under the 2019 federal agreement. The roles of chair and CEO were bifurcated last year in line with the planned restructuring outlined in NYCHA's Transformation Plan – changes that were adopted by the NYCHA board on June 15, 2022.

Mayor Adams also appointed First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and experienced financial professional Greg Belinfanti to the NYCHA board and Pamela Campbell to the newly established board of the Public Housing Preservation Trust, filling a role designated for a nominee from a labor union representing NYCHA employees. These appointments follow two previous NYCHA board appointments in January 2023 and the creation of the Trust board with the appointment of six members, including two NYCHA residents. With her expanded portfolio, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer will also join the Trust board as an ex officio member, in line with the state law that outlines the board's makeup. The first board meeting will take place on Friday, July 7.

"We have been clear since day one that NYCHA residents deserve the same quality of life as every New Yorker, and this administration has embraced the responsibility and the opportunity to deliver that," said Mayor Adams. "Lisa Bova-Hiatt has proven that she has what it takes to run this city-within-a-city, and Jamie Rubin brings the wide-ranging experience and critical skills to guide NYCHA's rejuvenation. With the leadership of Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer and the additions of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Greg Belinfanti, and Pamela Campbell to the NYCHA and Public Housing Preservation Trust boards, I am certain that NYCHA is better positioned than ever to face this challenge and provide residents with the safe, high-quality, affordable homes they deserve."

"From day one, NYCHA has a been a priority of the Adams administration and, for the first time in city history, was included as a priority of a mayoral administration's comprehensive housing plan," said First Deputy Mayor Wright. "All New Yorkers deserve quality affordable housing, access to opportunities, and the path for economic mobility. I look forward to working alongside the NYCHA board and to being of service to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who call NYCHA home."

"NYCHA represents one of this administration's most important avenues to secure affordable housing for the working people of this city. Today's appointments add critical leadership and fortify NYCHA's dedication to maintaining public housing for future generations," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Torres-Springer. "Today's appointments of Lisa Bova-Hiatt, Jamie Rubin, Greg Belinfanti, Pamela Campbell, and our very own First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright send a clear message that this administration is laser-focused on preserving and revitalizing public housing across our city. I am thrilled to continue working with CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt and her team in centering residents and bolstering opportunity across the entire NYCHA community."

"It's an honor to serve as the chair of NYCHA's board and to step into this role at such a pivotal time for the Authority," said NYCHA Chair Rubin. "Mayor Adams has made it clear that he is committed to making public housing the centerpiece of his housing plans. Lisa Bova-Hiatt and her team have made tremendous progress already, and I am looking forward to working with her and the entire NYCHA community."

"Every day, I am honored to serve in this capacity and to have the opportunity to lead the Authority's efforts to maintain and preserve public housing for the hundreds of thousands of residents living in NYCHA developments across the five boroughs," said NYCHA CEO Bova-Hiatt. "As a lifelong New Yorker and a career public servant, I understand the importance of affordable housing in New York City – and I remain committed to maintaining the momentum of NYCHA's continued transformation. I thank Mayor Adams for this appointment."

Read Mayor Adams' press release.

7.10.23

With Help from FCC Grant, INLIVIAN Is Crossing the Digital Divide

7.6.23

HUD Publishes Final NSPIRE Scoring Notice

HUD has published the final NSPIRE Scoring Notice for public inspection in the Federal Register today. The scoring notice outlines the scoring methodology, the sampling strategy, and the justification for scoring decisions. The final Scoring Notice contains several important changes from the proposed scoring methodology, including the removal of letter grades, changes to how duplicate defects will be scored, adjustments to inspections based on property size, and more.

The Scoring Notice compliments the Administrative Procedures found in PIH Notice 2023-16/H 2023-07, which contains information on the inspection process, and the final NSPIRE Standards, which were published in June.

The NSPIRE Scoring notice applies to all HUD housing currently inspected by REAC, including public housing and Multifamily Housing programs such as Project-based Rental Assistance, FHA Insured, and Sections 202 and 811.

Scoring Methodology

The methodology normalizes the total defect deduction value by dividing it by the total number of units inspected. That result is then subtracted from 100 to determine the final score. Properties will be graded on a 0–100-point scale. Thanks to public comments, HUD has removed letter grades from the final Scoring Methodology. Properties scoring below 60 are considered ‘failing’ and will be required to do additional follow-up. Additionally, any unit that fails to meet the Unit Threshold of Performance (a unit that has 30 or more points deducted) will have its score adjusted to 59.

HUD determined that the properties for which a substantial proportion of point deductions are from Unit deficiencies should be considered failures even if the rest of the property is in pristine condition. Therefore, regardless of the overall property score, if 30 points or more are deducted due to Unit deficiencies, HUD considers the property to have failed the inspection and deems the result of the inspection to be a score of 59. This final Scoring notice clarifies that the Unit Threshold of Performance applies to all the inspected units in a property collectively (e.g., Unit Defection Deduction Value divided by the number of inspected units).

HUD previously published an NSPIRE Scoring Calculator to estimate a potential NSPIRE score based on the types and locations of deficiencies identified during an NSPIRE inspection. The Scoring Calculator will be updated for the most recent NSPIRE Standards 3.0 and this scoring model. CLPHA will share the updated Scoring Calculator as soon as it is available.

Duplicate Defects

HUD will continue citing a deficiency multiple times in all inspectable areas (i.e., Unit, Inside, Outside) but will deduct points once per inspected unit, inspected building, or Outside area, for the Unit, Inside, and Outside areas, respectively. Examples of deficiencies that will be cited for each instance but scored only once in the same inspectable area include blocked egress, damaged doors, damaged walls, sharp edges, and infestation. This change was based on public comments, including CLPHA’s.

Property Size

The NSPIRE Scoring methodology no longer requires every building of the property to be inspected; instead, only those buildings that contain a unit in the inspection sample are to be inspected. The inspection will also include at least two non-dwelling area spaces, with a priority on spaces that residents can access or will spend time in, in addition to those common areas within a building that includes sampled units. This change was also based on public comments from CLPHA and others.

Defect Severity Levels and Inspectable Areas:

The methodology contains four levels of defect severity:

Life-Threatening (LT). The Life-Threatening category includes deficiencies that, if evident in the home or on the property, present a high risk of death to a resident.
Severe. The Severe category includes deficiencies that, if evident in the home or on the property, present a high risk of permanent disability, or serious injury or illness, to a resident; or the physical security or safety of a resident or their property would be seriously compromised.
Moderate. The Moderate health and safety category includes deficiencies that present a moderate risk of an adverse medical event requiring a healthcare visit; cause temporary harm; or if left untreated, cause or worsen a chronic condition that may have long-lasting adverse health effects; or that the physical security or safety of a resident or their property could be compromised.
Low. Deficiencies critical to habitability but not presenting a substantive health or safety risk to resident.

These factors will be weighed using a Defect Impact Weight. Life-threatening deficiencies will be weighed 4.1 times more heavily than severe deficiencies. Severe deficiencies will be weighed 2.7 times more heavily than moderate deficiencies, and moderate deficiencies will be weighed 2.3 times more heavily than low deficiencies.

The Defect Impact Weights also change at constant rates based on which of the three inspectable areas the defect is located in. The Defect Severity Values increase by a factor of 1.1 from Outside to Inside and from Inside to Unit inspectable areas. The three inspectable areas are:

Outside (or “outside areas”) refers to the building site, building exterior components, and any building systems located outside of the building or unit.
Inside (or “inside areas”) refers to the common areas and building systems that can be generally found within the building interior and are not inside a unit.
Unit (or “dwelling unit”) of HUD housing refers to the interior components of an individual unit.

CLPHA will publish a more detailed analysis of NSPIRE soon.

Special Purpose Vouchers

Many CLPHA member PHAs participate in special purpose voucher programs, such as the Family Unification Program (FUP), the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), and the Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) program. These programs serve especially vulnerable low-income households who are in need of supportive services to ensure long-term housing stability. CLPHA members have created a variety of innovations to more effectively serve program participants.

HUD-VASH Exit Study - Final Report

Member Profile

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