ISDV Newsletter Issue 11 / June 2019

 
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UPCS-V NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 11 | June 2019


UPCS-V Demonstration Continuation!

The UPCS-V Demonstration has been granted a 2-year continuation period to adequately support the development of the program. Your support has been fundamental to the success of UPCS-V and we are excited to continue the work we are doing together. More information on the Continuation of the UPCS-V Demonstration can be found here. If you have any questions, please email us at isdv@hud.gov.


Through the Lens of a PHA

ISDV recently met with the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) in Baton Rouge to learn more about their experience using UPCS-V. Read what they had to say below!

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The mission of LHC is to ensure residents have an opportunity to obtain safe, affordable, energy-efficient housing. Can you tell us about the work you do around that focus related to UPCS-V?

UPCS-V gives us a clear and consistent minimum standard of habitability, a uniform approach, and gives us consistent inspection results across all HCV units.

Tell us about your experience transitioning from the paper-based inspection form in HQS to UPCS-V’s electronic-based inspection.

Our inspectors like and have transitioned well from the paper-based inspections to UPCS-V’s electronic-based inspection. A key benefit of using an electronic model is having the ability to access real-time information about inspections. Everything from populating the inspection address to creating a report is much more streamlined. Inspection reports are automatically generated and can be emailed to tenants and landlords. Another feature that we like is the ability to capture photos in the UPCS-V software. This gives us the ability to clearly show what deficiencies were identified during an inspection.

Once trained, how did you overcome challenges with transitioning from paper-based inspections to UPCS-V’s electronic-based inspection?

Our inspectors have been conducting electronic inspections for some of their other housing programs, so the technical challenge has been minimal. The bigger challenge has been the behavior change and convincing stakeholders of the need for change.

Click here to read the full interview


Data Insights

One of the objectives of our program is to develop the ability to provide meaningful data analytics to our stakeholders. We are now able to identify the most commonly observed deficiencies recorded for each of the five inspectable areas during a UPCS-V inspection.

As seen in the chart below, the most commonly cited defect in the Building Exterior inspectable area is a damaged downspout or gutter. This analysis has drill-down capabilities to provide PHA-specific insight on which defects are commonly observed in their housing portfolio.  Furthermore, PHA’s can identify commonly cited defects specific to each of the five inspectable areas; Unit, Building Exterior, Building System, Health and Safety, and Common Area.  This is an example of the types of insights we aim to reveal as we continue to develop our data analysis capabilities to assist with making informed decisions.

Top Defects

New Inspection Web Service Demo Environment 

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ISDV is excited to announce and release an update to the validation process for voucher inspection submissions, which is now available in our demo environment! The demo environment is open to any industry stakeholder who would like to download the current version of the JSON formatted decision trees and begin building their own inspection application.

Click here for more information on our webservices demo


Thank you!

Our field team advisors recently visited several PHAs to recognize them for their hard work and contribution to the UPCS-V Demonstration. Thank you to Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority, Omaha Housing Authority, and Riverside Housing Authority for all the incredible work you do and your commitment to UPCS-V!

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Training: Where are we going?

Our Field Team will be traveling to the following states throughout July.  Be sure to connect with your Field Team Advisor when they are in town by emailing us at isdv@hud.gov! Follow us on Twitter at @HUDREAC for weekly updates on your where Field Team Advisor will be next.

UPCS-V Field Team Sites July 2019

Developing the Future of UPCS-V Training

ISDV recently gathered feedback from Demonstration PHAs on UPCS-V’s current training model. The feedback we received will allow us to better understand the needs of our PHA inspectors and staff as we build the future-state training model. ISDV strives to deeply understand our stakeholders as we develop UPCS-V and provide solutions that support the mission of providing decent, safe, and sanitary homes. Click HERE for more information about the feedback we received.


#DidYouKnow: UPCS-V Protocol

DYK June

Head over to our twitter to get more #DYK facts on the UPCS-V protocol!


Upcoming Events

  • July 11th-12th: NAHRO Summer Conference (Boston, MA)
  • July 22nd: HUD Pittsburg Field Office
  • July 29th: IN/IL NAHRO Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
  • August: HUD Hartford Field Office

Follow us on Twitter @HUDREAC

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Follow us at @HUDREAC to stay informed on UPCS-V Protocol, upcoming events, and to see what our incredible ISDV staff is up to!


How Are We Doing?

Please email us your questions and feedback! We want to hear from you as we are continuously improving UPCS-V with your thoughtful input!


Contact ISDV

Mail: HUD/REAC/ISDV  |  550 12th Street SW, Suite 100  |  Washington, DC 20410

Email: isdv@hud.gov |  Web: http://bit.ly/HUDISDV |  Twitter: @HUDREAC