Chapter 1 - San Diego Housing Commission

Chapter 10 – Housing Quality Standards, Inspections, and Utility Allowances
[24 CFR Part 982, Subpart I]
- Grass or weeds over six inches tall.
- Graffiti on exterior of house/rental complex, sidewalks, and/or fences.
- Relocating an operable smoke detector
- Any other minor repair item as determined at the discretion of the inspector.
L. CONSEQUENCES IF OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE [24 CFR 982.404(a), 982.405, 982.453]
When it has been determined that a unit on the program fails to meet HQS for non-emergency items,
and the owner is responsible for completing the necessary repair(s) in the time period specified by
SDHC, the assistance payment to the owner will be abated.
1. Abatement
A Notice of Abatement will be sent to the owner, and the abatement will be effective the first day of
the month after the unit has been in a failed status for 30 days. If the unit passes inspection prior to
the end of the month, the rent will not be abated.
SDHC will inspect abated units as soon as possible after the owner's notification that the work has
been completed. If an owner calls prior to the end of the abatement month to schedule a reinspection
because the repairs have been made and a re-inspection cannot be made prior to the end
of the month, SDHC may pay the full HAP for the month if the unit passes inspection.
If the owner makes repairs during the abatement period, payment will resume on the day SDHC is
notified of the completion of the repairs as long as the unit passes inspection on the scheduled
inspection date.
If the unit is in abatement status, only the owner or manager may cancel or reschedule the
inspection. The family and owner will be notified of the re-inspection date.
No retroactive payments will be made to the owner for the period of time the rent was abated and
the unit did not comply with HQS. The Housing Assistance Payment Contract (HAPC) advises the
owner that the tenant is not responsible for SDHC’s portion of the rent while the HAPC is in effect. If
the owner disputes the abatement, the Inspection Supervisor will review the issue to determine if
the abatement dates remain in effect or could be adjusted.
2. Reduction of Payments
SDHC may grant an extension in lieu of abatement in the following cases:
- There is an unavoidable delay in completing repairs due to difficulties in obtaining parts or
contracting for services.
- The owner makes a good faith effort to make the repairs.
- The repairs are expensive (such as exterior painting or roof repair) and the owner needs time
to obtain the funds.
- The repairs must be delayed due to climate conditions.
The owner may be required to provide documentation to support his request for an extension (i.e.,
invoice, work order, estimate of repair costs, etc.). The extension will be made for a period not to
exceed 30 days, or at the discretion of SDHC. Once the extension period has lapsed, if the work is
not completed, SDHC will begin the abatement.
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