Housing subsidized under the Housing Choice Voucher Program must be decent, safe, and sanitary. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) set forth Housing Quality Standards (HQS) that all units must meet before assistance can be paid on behalf of a family and throughout the HAP Contract period. HQS establishes the minimum criteria necessary for the health and safety of tenants. LHA ensures owner and tenant compliance to provide and maintain decent, safe, and sanitary housing through HQS housing inspections. Landlords can help themselves by being prepared for an inspection. The HQS Inspections Overview is not an all inclusive list but it is an overview as to many of the items that are checked during an inspection. If a unit does not pass an initial inspection, repairs must be made and another inspection completed to be sure that the repairs have been made correctly before a HAP Contract can be signed. If repairs are not made, the unit will not be eligible for the Housing Choice Voucher Program