{"id":6568,"date":"2025-12-18T12:07:41","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T20:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/?post_type=blog_post&p=6568"},"modified":"2025-12-18T12:07:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T20:07:41","slug":"hud-nspire-november-december-2025-newsletter-egress-standard","status":"publish","type":"blog_post","link":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/blog-post\/hud-nspire-november-december-2025-newsletter-egress-standard\/","title":{"rendered":"HUD NSPIRE November-December 2025 Newsletter: Egress Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am combining November and December into one long<\/em> Newsletter because it focuses on a topic that needs a lot of discussion \u2013 the <\/a>Egress Standard<\/a>.
\nIn 2022, a terrible tragedy occurred at a rowhouse in the Fairmount neighborhood of the Philadelphia Housing Authority<\/a>.\u00a0 12 people perished (9 of them children) when a Christmas tree caught fire.\u00a0 Of the 7 smoke alarms present, only 1 worked\u2026in the basement.\u00a0 Fire safety (smoke alarms, egress, sprinklers, fire extinguishers, etc.) is SO important and very often overlooked.<\/p>\n

All 3 deficiencies under the Egress Standard are LIFE-THREATENING Health & Safeties and (for those that get scored REAC inspections) rack up points fast \u2013 if you have 1 LT cited in HALF the units inspected, you will fail<\/strong> your inspection because if 30 points or more are lost in the Unit inspectable area\u2026you will receive a score of 59 (fail).
\nDeficiency #1: Obstructed Means of Egress <\/u><\/strong>
\nHUD defines Egress as \u201ca safe, continuous, and unobstructed<\/u><\/strong> path of travel from any point in the building, unit, or structure to the public way.\u201d
\nThere are 3 components to the Means of Egress: Exit Access, Exit and Exit Discharge.\u00a0 Simply put:
\nExit Access<\/strong>: Path from any interior location to an exit.
\nExit<\/strong>: Door to the outside or enclosed exit stairway.
\nExit Discharge<\/strong>: Path from an Exit to the public way.
\n<\/p>\n

First, we\u2019re going to focus on Units and Inside (common areas).<\/strong>
\nThis is the deficiency where resident personal property CAN be cited as an obstruction to the exit access (pathway) and exit (doors).
\nHere are some examples of an obstructed Exit Access or Exit in the Units from HUD:
\n<\/p>\n

I highlighted the most important and most common egress violations above.
\n\u201cSpecial knowledge or effort\u201d<\/strong> can mean the door swelled and sticks to the frame making it difficult to open and child safety devices installed on the door handles!
\n<\/p>\n

Wandering\/Escaping concerns for individuals with Alzheimer\u2019s, Autism, etc.<\/strong>
\nThis is obviously a significant issue.\u00a0 This article provides a few suggestions on what is permitted by Fire Code:
\nMinnesota asst. fire marshal warns of dangers with locking a loved one with autism in their room<\/a>
\nThe absolute best advice I can give here is to reach out to your Building Official (Authority Having Jurisdiction \u2013 AHJ) or Fire Marshal to find out what is permitted in your jurisdiction.
\nSome jurisdictions (and leases) permit:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Security chains<\/li>\n
  2. Flip U-locks<\/li>\n
  3. Night latch, etc \u2013 as long as it does not take a tool (like a key) to exit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Door alarms or tracking technology like GPS bands and Care Trak are also good ideas.<\/p>\n

    \u201cPlacement of an item or furniture that obstructs a means of egress\u201d <\/strong>is, unfortunately, vague and subjective.\u00a0 How wide do the doors need to swing?\u00a0 What is the acceptable width of the exit access (pathway)?
    \nFire code mandates a 32\u201d clear<\/strong> width with the door open 90 degrees.\u00a0 Thus, storing ANYTHING behind doors reduces the 32\u201d clear width requirement.
    \n<\/p>\n

    Under HUD\u2019s Door – Fire-Labeled NSPIRE Standard<\/a> , Deficiency 1 states:
    \n
    \nHow much is reasonable for HUD?\u00a0 I am hoping this is clarified when they update the Standards in Summer of 2026.\u00a0 In the meantime, follow Fire Code.
    \nRegarding the pathway\u2026you want 36\u201d from the bedroom door to the exit door.<\/strong>\u00a0 Again, you should verify with your Fire Marshal so that if we need to appeal, the pathway measurements must meet your local code requirements.
    \nThe code does not specify a minimum pathway width inside the bedroom itself<\/strong>, only that the door and the path to the exit from the bedroom door<\/strong> must meet egress requirements.\u00a0 Some local jurisdictions interpret this as at least 24\u201328 inches of unobstructed space<\/strong> around furniture, but that\u2019s not a federal or state-mandated number<\/strong>.\u00a0 Keep in mind that the egressable window must also be accessible (this is discussed under Deficiency #2).
    \n<\/p>\n

    The following images show commonly cited Obstructed Exit (door) and Exit Access (pathway) deficiencies:
    \n<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The Obstructed Means of Egress (Deficiency #1) for the Outside<\/strong> focuses on Exit Discharge (path from the exit to the public way).
    \nHUD provides the following examples:
    \n<\/p>\n

    \u201cMay\u201d is an important word. A private patio gate<\/strong> that does not provide a required exit path<\/strong> from the dwelling to the public way is typically treated like a fence or barrier<\/strong>.\u00a0 However, you need to confirm this with your local Fire Marshal or AHJ because they may consider the patio gates part of the exit discharge.<\/p>\n

    The GOOD news is that since it\u2019s cited on the \u201cOutside,\u201d it will only score ONE TIME<\/strong> regardless of how many times it is cited.
    \n<\/p>\n

    Deficiency #2: Sleeping Room is on the 3rd<\/sup> Floor or Below and Has an Obstructed Rescue Opening.<\/u><\/strong>
    \nThis deficiency applies ONLY<\/strong> to the egressable bedroom window in UNITS.
    \nThis deficiency does NOT<\/strong> apply to:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Common area windows (like offices, laundry rooms, etc)<\/li>\n
    2. Doors<\/li>\n
    3. Pathways<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Why did I say \u201cegressable\u201d bedroom window?\u00a0 Some properties are very old, and their windows don\u2019t meet current code requirements \u2013 thus they are \u201cgrandfathered in\u201d because the cost of replacing them would be ridiculous.
      \nIn these cases, HUD\u2019s deficiency would not be applicable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      November – December 2025:
      \nEgress Standard<\/strong><\/h3>\n
      2026 NSPIRE WEBINAR TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT!<\/u><\/strong>
      \nHUD-NSPIRE Demystified: A Deep Dive into the New Inspection Process<\/strong>
      \n4-Part Series starts February 4th<\/sup>, 2026 <\/strong>
      \nRegistration is OPEN \u2013 Click here:<\/strong>
      \n      C4N6 Webinar Training<\/strong><\/a>
      \nHOLIDAY SALE UNTIL JANUARY 2ND<\/sup>, 2026: <\/strong>
      \nUSE CODE: HOLIDAY10 FOR 10% OFF AT CHECKOUT!<\/strong>
      \nClick here to check out free, downloadable <\/strong>      REAC Resources<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Here are the Fire Code requirements for bedroom windows:
      \n<\/p>\n

      What about resident furniture that obstructs the rescue opening?<\/strong>
      \nA political decision was made that resident-owned property will NOT be considered an obstructed rescue opening.\u00a0 None of us know what the reasoning was, however it IS still a Fire Code violation and PHA\/POA (Public Housing and Multifamily properties) are still liable!!!
      \nHere is the rule in writing from the NSPIRE       Egress Standard<\/a>:<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      What does qualify as an obstructed rescue opening for HUD?<\/strong>
      \n<\/p>\n

      \u201cSpecial knowledge or effort\u201d<\/strong>
      \nIf I almost get a hernia trying to open a window\u2026how can the senior resident open it?\u00a0 I once had a maintenance man tell me that 90% of his job was opening and shutting windows for the residents at a Senior property.\u00a0 I told him to find a good lubricant or call the window manufacturer for suggestions because that is absolutely nuts!
      \nHere are some examples that do meet the deficiency criteria:
      \n<\/p>\n

      Deficiency #3: Fire Escape Access is Obstructed<\/u><\/strong>
      \n2 rules that may shock you:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. This deficiency ONLY applies to Units just like Deficiency #2.\u00a0 This may change in the next update, because common area fire escape access should never be obstructed.<\/li>\n
      2. If the fire escape is obstructed by resident-owned property, it is NOT cited as a deficiency!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Here is the verbiage from the Standard:
        \n<\/p>\n

        What does qualify as an obstructed fire escape access?<\/strong>
        \nIt\u2019s the exact same rules as Deficiency #2:
        \n<\/p>\n

        <\/p>\n

        Resources<\/strong>
        \nHUD has PDFs (videos are currently down) on how to appeal and how to close out H&S deficiencies here:
        \n        NSPIRE Toolkit<\/a>
        \n**Remember, if you will be appealing something, <\/strong>
        \nyour \u201cdefect mitigation in 24 hours\u201d is that you are appealing\u2026not that you fixed it<\/u>!**<\/strong><\/p>\n

        To subscribe to this free monthly newsletter and read newsletters you may have missed, click here: C4N6 Newsletter Registration and Archive<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        I am combining November and December into one long Newsletter because it focuses on a topic that needs a lot of discussion \u2013 the Egress Standard. In 2022, a terrible tragedy occurred at a rowhouse in the Fairmount neighborhood of the Philadelphia Housing Authority.\u00a0 12 people perished (9 of them children) when a Christmas tree […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"blog-category":[130],"class_list":["post-6568","blog_post","type-blog_post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-hud-assist"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/6568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog_post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6568"},{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c4n6.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=6568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}