I’m a housing inspector for Nevada Rural Housing Authority. Most of my inspections are for what we call Annual HQS (Housing Quality Standards) Inspections. We are required by HUD to perform these inspections of individual homes on the program to assure that they continue to meet the minimum standards intended to provide “decent, safe, and sanitary housing for the occupants.”

During my visit, I go room to room looking for any hazards to the occupants, and to verify that all of the required features of the home are still functional. I’m usually in the home for about 20 minutes asking a few questions and filling out the Inspection Checklist.

I approach each home inspection asking myself some fundamental questions. The answers to these questions help me identify with occupants and treat them with the respect and discretion that I believe is warranted in my job. What if it were my house that was being inspected by some stranger? What is the inspector really looking for? Is this really about the home, or is it more about inspecting me personally? Am I at risk of losing my housing depending on how this inspector sees me?

For me, my home has always been my most personal and intimate place. It is the place I instinctively seek to feel safe, secure, grounded, and relaxed. My home is where I may reliably find the serenity, peace, and comfort that come from being around surroundings of my choosing. Here I count on having a family to love, something I enjoy to eat, a dog I love to cuddle, music to listen to, a book to read, clothing to change into, a bed to sleep in, a sofa to lounge in, photos and art on the walls that reflect my life experience, and the warmth and ease of simply being in my place. Home is where I can truly be my whole self without the pressure of having to conform to others expectations of my appearance, performance, or behavior.

My home is where a visitor from outside may observe very personal aspects of my character and the things I truly care about the most. If the visitor is a close friend or family it can be a pleasure to share my space and life. But honestly, to allow someone into my home is also to risk being exposed and vulnerable to their judgment of me and my personal space. When there is someone new coming into my space for the first time, this personal exposure seems especially worrisome.

In my role as a housing inspector it has become very important to me to treat the people I meet in their homes with the same respect and sensitivity that I would want from someone entering my home. I don’t view myself as being any better than, or fundamentally different from anyone I meet during my inspections. Often I can visualize myself living in the very home I’m inspecting and relate to the life that I am briefly visiting and sharing. At times, the result of that empathy leaves me driving away from the home with a smile on my face. Other times I leave with tears in my eyes.

Technically, the inspection is about helping to maintain the safety, quality, and security of the physical home environment. However, I believe that it is just as important for me to offer the client compassion and understanding and ensure them the dignity they deserve as a fellow human being. In other words, I believe in treating the people the same way that I would like to be treated.