Inspiring a Compliance Culture: Read the Compliance Department’s Summer 2026 Newsletter

What’s New This Quarter?

This quarter, the Compliance Department is highlighting practical steps employees can take to support resident safety and prevent common deficiencies identified during National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspections. This newsletter also summarizes key updates to five recently revised Standard Procedures. For more information, employees should refer to the full documents.

NSPIRE Inspections: Addressing Common Deficiencies

The Property Management Operations – Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspections Department has tips on how maintenance workers can easily address two of the more common deficiencies that are found during NSPIRE inspections.

Electrical Safety

• To maintain NSPIRE standards for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets and conductors, outlets, and switches, maintenance workers performing annual apartment inspections must:

• Inspect all outlets with an outlet tester.

• Replace damaged, missing, loose, or out-of-order outlets and covers.

• Ensure any outlet within six feet of a water source (kitchen, bathroom, sink) is a GFCI outlet and install GFCI outlets where needed.

• Test GFCI outlets by pressing the reset button and using an outlet tester.

Note: Whenever a maintenance worker is in an apartment to perform inspections, maintenance, or repairs, they must test all GFCI outlets as part of the 5 Alive Checks. If there is a problem with a GFCI outlet when tested, replace it.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• To maintain NSPIRE standards for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in an apartment, maintenance workers must:

• Confirm all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (combo detectors) are installed and working properly as a 5 Alive Check whenever they enter a resident’s apartment to perform inspections, maintenance, or repairs.

• Follow the combo detector replacement schedule as triggered by Maximo or inspection protocol.

To ensure residents live in a safe environment, it is vital for employees to maintain NYCHA properties according to the HUD NSPIRE standards. To learn more, refer to Standard Procedure 040:18:1, Repair Standards & NSPIRE REAC Inspections, and NYCHA Management Manual, Chapter I – Occupancy, Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors section.

Standard Procedures

Standard Procedure 040:09:3, Annual Apartment Inspections, establishes procedures for performing annual apartment inspections of NYCHA public housing apartments. Updates to the Standard Procedure include, but are not limited to:

• The Annual Apartment Inspection Work Order (Appendix B) and the list of minor repairs that must be completed during the inspection (Appendix C) were updated to address blocked egress issues often cited during NSPIRE inspections. A minor repair to address blocked egress is to remove a resident-installed lock.

Standard Procedure 040:00:9, Reasonable Accommodations and Other Assistance for Residents During Elevator Service Disruptions, explains how NYCHA assists residents who need a reasonable accommodation or other assistance during elevator no-service conditions caused by elevator modernization, elevator replacement, planned or unplanned repairs, or when there is no elevator access to a specific floor(s). Updates to this Standard Procedure include, but are not limited to:

• In addition to residents who require a reasonable accommodation, NYCHA also assists residents without disabilities who may still be negatively impacted by an elevator no-service condition (for example, residents with late-term or high-risk pregnancies).

• Adding the process for Property Management Offices to use stair climbers to help residents access and leave their apartments.

Standard Procedure 022:14:1, Procedure Development and Administration, provides instructions for creating new Standard Procedures and revising existing ones. The procedure also provides instructions for removing obsolete Standard Procedures from the Document Library for archiving. Updates to the Standard Procedure include, but are not limited to:

• Clarifying how a procedure owner must prepare a draft Standard Procedure for submission to the Compliance Department’s Procedures Unit, including showing all edits in tracked changes using the Microsoft Word version of the procedure.

• Recommending that before the procedure owner submits a draft, they should consult with affected departments, end users, the Law Department, and outside technical experts (as needed).

Standard Procedure 088:91:1, Physical Improvements and Alterations to NYCHA Property By Outside Entities – Leased and Non-Leased, explains how to review and approve requests from a public or private entity or government agency to perform physical improvement or alteration work on NYCHA property, whether the entity or agency has a lease with NYCHA or not. Updates include, but are not limited to: 

• The borough vice president must review and approve (or delegate the review and approval of) all proposed physical improvements or alteration projects.

• Upon request, when Asset and Capital Management is not overseeing a project, Property Management provides technical assistance to the department processing the physical improvement or alteration request, including determination as to whether a health and safety review is needed.

Standard Procedure 076:15:1, Roof Replacement Pre-Construction Surveys, defines the processes to remove and/or relocate certain rooftop equipment, assess site conditions, and conduct a building survey before beginning roof replacement construction. Updates to this Standard Procedure include, but are not limited to:

• Adding the environmental testing requirements for asbestos and/or lead paint.

• Describing the documentation requirements for two new reports: the Roof Fan Survey Report and the Temporary Ventilation Plan. 

Conclusion

The Compliance Department will continue working with our colleagues to ensure that NYCHA is a safe and healthy place for our residents, staff, and vendors. If you have any concerns or complaints, or if you see anyone engaging in a deceptive practice, you can make a confidential and anonymous report by calling the Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 (select menu option 7) or by visiting the Compliance Department section of NYCHA’s website. Complaints can also be reported to any other federal, state, or local government agency. Remember, the Compliance Department is here to help.

90 Church Street
New York, NY 10007
https://on.nyc.gov/submit-concern