ASHI Makes Case in National Government Forum for New Class of Federally Endorsed Inspections

On June 22, ASHI presented a powerful, comprehensive argument to support a new federal safe and healthy homes initiative — and to include a new class of inspections as a core element in that initiative. If successful, ASHI could play a key role in developing an exciting new market, a new set of services products and a new revenue stream for the society and its members – one that is not captive to the unpredictable home sales market, but would target long-term homeowners who have no plan to sell.

ASHI delivered the address at the National Healthy Homes Conference at the Denver Convention Center. The society had been invited by sponsoring agencies such as HUD, DOE, EPA, USDA, CDC and other power centers inside the Washington Beltway to present ASHI’s case.

Photo: L to r: Kurt Salomon, ASHI president; Marvin Goldstein, ASHI president-elect; Jordan Garrison, HUD Healthy Homes Representative, Region 8; David Tamney, ASHI immediate past-president; and Randall Pence, ASHI lobbyist.

Kurt Salomon, ASHI president; David Tamny, immediate past-president; and Randall Pence, ASHI government affairs representative, represented the association at the meeting, with Tamny and Pence taking the podium to discuss the policy and practical reasons why home inspections and home inspectors should play a key role in any initiative.

Tamny delivered a slide presentation of photos from ASHI’s own “Postcards from the Field,” demonstrating striking, real-world examples of unsafe and unhealthy conditions that members discover on a routine basis.

Pence offered policy analyses explaining why inspections are needed and would enhance the programmatic integrity of any federal initiative in the eyes of Congress.

ASHI asserted that Congress and the public do have a strong public-policy interest in home health and safety; they do need to be assured that any federal program will identify actual existing problems; they do need to know that any remediation efforts will be installed and installed effectively.

Elaborating on the inspections element, ASHI calls first for initial assessments, to be followed by post-remediation verification to confirm that the work has been performed.

[Editor’s note: ASHI is aware that HUD’s staff is working to develop a software-based inspection protocol to serve as a primary tool for inspections. It is software that HUD hopes to adapt from a mature safe and healthy homes program already in use in Great Britain. ASHI’s representatives have had good discussions with HUD about the software, including a possible opportunity to review an early “Americanized” version from the home inspector perspective, and to provide technical comments.]

ASHI anticipates that the specialty inspections that HUD will endorse will not be a typical home inspection. But, the inspections will have many similar elements and require similar technical expertise, equipment and capabilities as employed by ASHI inspectors today.

Thus, it projects that, with modest additional training, many ASHI members could and would become certified to conduct the HUD-recommended inspections, providing members a new business opportunity to expand and balance their services portfolio – services recommended with the authority of the federal government.

During its presentation, ASHI further recommended that HUD “jumpstart” the effort of educating American homeowners that they should think about safety and health conditions in their homes now, urge them to become early adopters, or seek their own inspections and remediation as the official program continues to be developed. This will be a new idea for most American homeowners and the society advocates an early, low-cost, but effective, public relations campaign to begin that process of acclimation.

ASHI believes that many homeowners, especially those with young children, will be receptive to and appreciative of useful federal education on this topic.

ASHI offered a truncated tutorial on how the conference attendees should advocate the HUD program – including inspections – to members of Congress. In order for the initiative to have long-lasting firepower in forthcoming budget and appropriations debates, Congress needs to pass legislation to elevate the current Healthy Homes working group into a fully authorized Council. Further, the Council should include representation from private sector stakeholders. ASHI hopes to apply for one of the seats on the Council if the Council legislation passes into law.

Tamny and Pence informed the attendees that the full presentation and key policy points would be available to the general public on the home page of the ASHI website. Of course, ASHI members are invited to review the presentation materials at their leisure and make their own contacts with their members of Congress to support the initiative, the need for inspections and the Council bill.

ASHI’s appearance in a speaking role at the Denver conference is an outgrowth of its ongoing efforts to broaden the positive regard for the association and professional home inspectors among key policymakers and as the voice for home inspector interests in Washington, D.C. Following the conference, it anticipates there will be a round of collaborative discussions with the HUD staff to map the next steps to develop a new federal initiative on safe and healthy homes. These talks will further instill the society and its membership in that effort — both as a technical resource and as a potent stakeholder.