Frequently Asked Questions
Project Housing Accountability and Standards Engine
PHASE was built by MOR-certified practitioners who have been through every stage of a HUD Management and Occupancy Review. These are the questions we hear most often from property owners, property managers, and housing authorities considering PHASE
1 — About PHASE
What is PHASE and what does it do?
PHASE — Project Housing Accountability and Standards Engine — is the only centralized compliance platform that covers every component of a HUD Management and Occupancy Review in one system. It automates all four MOR audit pillars: Tenant File Compliance, EIV Compliance, HAP Payment Accuracy, and NSPIRE Inspection Findings.
PHASE is not a property management system it is a purpose-built compliance platform designed exclusively for HUD Project Based Section 8 owners, property managers, and housing authorities, providing the MOR-specific automation no other system was designed to deliver.
Who is PHASE built for?
PHASE is purpose-built for HUD Project Based Section 8 owners, property managers, and housing authorities of all sizes from single-site properties to large multi-state portfolios. If you are subject to HUD Management and Occupancy Reviews, PHASE was built for you.
Our team has been through MOR reviews firsthand and we built PHASE because we knew what was missing.
Is PHASE a property management system?
No. PHASE is not a replacement for your property management system. Your property management system handles the day-to-day operations of your properties. PHASE handles the MOR compliance documentation, EIV findings, HAP payment reconciliation, and NSPIRE inspection tracking that your property management system was never designed to automate.
You keep your current system and your existing workflows. PHASE adds the compliance automation your team needs to be MOR-ready at all times.
What are the four MOR audit pillars PHASE covers?
Tenant File Compliance — every required document tracked and verified against MOR requirements in real time. Missing items flagged before the reviewer arrives.
EIV Compliance — EIV findings identified, investigated through the PHASE portal, and resolved with a complete documented audit trail.
HAP Payment Accuracy — Housing Assistance Payment variances identified and flagged for owner investigation monthly.
NSPIRE Inspection Findings — physical inspection findings documented with corrective actions and timestamped proof of resolution, MOR-ready when the auditor asks.
Who built PHASE?
PHASE was built by DEVAL Solutions, Inc. — the technology affiliate of DEVAL LLC, a federal advisory firm with 23+ years of HUD advisory and compliance experience. PHASE was designed by MOR-certified practitioners who have personally pulled tenant files the night before a review, reconciled HAP payments manually, and responded to EIV findings with paper documentation.
We built PHASE because we knew exactly what was missing. DEVAL Solutions professionals hold the Certified Management and Occupancy Review Specialist (MORS) credential.
2 — Compliance and MOR Reviews
How does PHASE help us prepare for a HUD MOR review?
PHASE keeps you audit-ready every day — not just when the MOR notification arrives. The management dashboard shows the compliance status of every tenant file, every unit, and every property in real time. Pre-MOR Risk Scoring gives you an automated running compliance score so you know exactly where each property stands before the reviewer is scheduled.
Staff can be assigned work, tracked for progress, and held accountable through the platform. When the reviewer arrives, your files are ready — not assembled the night before.
What happens if a tenant file is missing a document?
PHASE flags missing documents in real time as soon as a gap is identified, not when the MOR reviewer asks for it. Staff receive an alert, can see exactly which document is missing for which tenant, and can send a document request directly to the tenant through the PHASE portal.
The tenant receives the request by email, logs into their portal, uploads the document, and the file is updated immediately. Every request and response is logged with a timestamp ready for the auditor.
How does PHASE handle EIV compliance?
PHASE manages the full EIV compliance cycle. EIV findings — including income discrepancies, new hire reports, identity verification issues, and deceased tenant flags are identified and flagged in PHASE. Staff investigate through the PHASE portal, contacting tenants directly and documenting each step.
When a finding is resolved, the resolution is documented with a complete audit trail timestamped, organized, and MOR-ready. When the auditor asks whether you addressed your EIV findings, PHASE gives you the documented proof, not just a yes.
How does PHASE handle HAP payment reconciliation?
Every month, PHASE ingests the Housing Assistance Payment Application and compares it against each tenant’s income and rent calculation records. Any variance potential overpayment or underpayment is flagged for owner investigation.
PHASE is not an accounting system and does not make corrections. It raises the flag so your team can investigate before the MOR reviewer does. Legitimate arrears adjustments are recognized automatically. The result is a complete month-by-month payment history, always organized and MOR-ready.
How does PHASE handle NSPIRE inspection findings?
Physical inspection findings are imported into PHASE directly from the inspection report. Each finding is assigned to the appropriate staff member for corrective action. As work is completed, staff document the corrective action and upload supporting evidence.
PHASE timestamps every step — creating documented, organized proof of resolution for every finding. When the MOR auditor asks about outstanding NSPIRE findings, your response is in PHASE not in a spreadsheet or paper file.
3 — Implementation and Setup
How long does implementation take?
Implementation typically takes 30 to 90 days depending on the size of your portfolio and the complexity of your existing data. Our MOR-certified team supports you through the entire process — from data onboarding through go-live.
There are no onboarding fees, no training fees, and no support fees. Our team handles the setup so your staff can focus on compliance, not configuration.
Do we have to replace our current property management system to use PHASE?
No. PHASE does not replace your existing property management system. You keep your current system and your existing workflows. PHASE provides the MOR compliance automation your current platform was never designed to include tenant file tracking, EIV compliance, HAP payment reconciliation, and NSPIRE inspection findings all in one centralized system.
Our implementation team will guide you through the full setup process.
What do we need to provide to get started?
To onboard your properties into PHASE, you will provide tenant and property data fields and specific documents such as leases and recertification records. Our implementation team will guide you through exactly what is needed and in what format.
Most of the information you need already exists in your current property management system, our team will help you extract and map it correctly.
4 — Tenant Portal and Management Portal
Does PHASE have a tenant portal?
Yes. PHASE includes a bilingual English and Spanish tenant portal accessible from any device desktop, tablet, or mobile. Through the portal, tenants can apply for housing digitally, report income changes in real time, update household composition, access their own documents, and receive and respond to document requests from management.
When a tenant reports an income change, PHASE automatically triggers the interim recertification workflow, eliminating the lag between the income change and the required documentation.
How do property managers communicate with tenants through PHASE?
Property managers have their own separate PHASE management portal with a full dashboard view of every tenant file across their portfolio. From the management portal, staff can send document requests directly to individual tenants by email. The tenant receives the request, logs into their portal, and uploads the document.
Staff can see in real time when a document has been received, review it, and mark the file updated. Every request and response is logged with a timestamp, creating a complete communication record for each tenant that is MOR-ready when the auditor asks.
How does PHASE help with move-in documentation?
When a new tenant is moving in, PHASE generates a complete move-in checklist based on HUD requirements, showing every document that must be in the file before move-in is complete. Management can see at a glance which items are missing and send document requests directly to the incoming tenant through the PHASE portal.
The tenant receives an email notification, logs in, and uploads the required documents from their device. Nothing is missing on move-in day because PHASE tracks every required item from the moment the tenant is added to the system.
How does PHASE manage annual recertifications?
PHASE tracks annual recertification deadlines for every tenant across your entire portfolio automatically. As a deadline approaches, PHASE alerts management and can send notifications directly to the tenant through the portal.
Staff can see which tenants have upcoming recertifications, which documents are already on file, and which items still need to be collected. PHASE maintains the complete recertification record — signed forms, income verifications, and all supporting documentation, organized and accessible for the MOR review.
How does PHASE handle interim recertifications when a tenant's income changes?
Through the PHASE tenant portal, tenants can report income changes in real time — triggering the interim recertification workflow automatically. Management is notified immediately, the required documents are identified, and a document request is sent to the tenant through the portal.
The tenant uploads the supporting documentation and management processes the interim recertification within PHASE. Every step is documented with a timestamp. PHASE eliminates the lag between an income change and the required documentation, reducing retroactive subsidy adjustments and protecting both the owner and the tenant.
Can tenants view their complete housing file through the portal?
Yes. Through the PHASE tenant portal, residents have access to their complete compliance file in one centralized repository, every document associated with their tenancy in one place. This includes their move-in documentation, lease, annual recertification records, interim recertification records, income verifications, household composition updates, and any other documents collected during their tenancy.
Tenants can view, download, and reference their own documents at any time from any device in English or Spanish. For property managers, the repository means every document is organized, timestamped, and in one place, not scattered across paper files, email threads, and shared drives.
5 — HAP Payment and Financial Reconciliation
How does PHASE ingest the Housing Assistance Payment voucher and identify financial discrepancies?
Every month, PHASE ingests the Housing Assistance Payment voucher — the payment application submitted to HUD for each property. PHASE then automatically compares the payment amount against the tenant’s current Annual Recertification (AR) and Interim Recertification (IR) records on file, including the tenant’s calculated rent, income verification, and household composition.
If the payment amount does not match what the tenant’s current AR or IR records support, whether an overpayment or underpayment, PHASE flags the discrepancy for management investigation. The flag identifies the specific unit, the specific month, and the nature of the variance.
HAP payment discrepancies are one of the most common MOR findings, and one of the most avoidable. PHASE catches them monthly, before the MOR reviewer does. PHASE is not an accounting system and does not make corrections. Legitimate arrears adjustments are recognized automatically.
5 — HAP Payment and Financial Reconciliation
How does PHASE ingest the Housing Assistance Payment voucher and identify financial discrepancies?
Every month, PHASE ingests the Housing Assistance Payment voucher — the payment application submitted to HUD for each property. PHASE then automatically compares the payment amount against the tenant’s current Annual Recertification (AR) and Interim Recertification (IR) records on file, including the tenant’s calculated rent, income verification, and household composition.
If the payment amount does not match what the tenant’s current AR or IR records support, whether an overpayment or underpayment, PHASE flags the discrepancy for management investigation. The flag identifies the specific unit, the specific month, and the nature of the variance.
HAP payment discrepancies are one of the most common MOR findings, and one of the most avoidable. PHASE catches them monthly, before the MOR reviewer does. PHASE is not an accounting system and does not make corrections. Legitimate arrears adjustments are recognized automatically.
6 — Security and Data
How does PHASE protect our data?
PHASE is built on a NIST 800-53 compliant architecture, the federal government’s standard framework for information security controls. All data is encrypted, access is role-based, and the system maintains detailed audit logs of every action taken.
Data security is not an afterthought it is built into the foundation of how we operate.
7 — Technical Support
What technical support is included with PHASE?
All registered PHASE clients receive unlimited phone and email support from our MOR-certified team at no additional charge. This is included in your PHASE subscription for the first year and continues with an annual maintenance fee thereafter.
Support is provided by staff who understand HUD compliance not just the software. When you contact us, you are speaking with someone who knows what a Management and Occupancy Review looks like from the inside.
What are your support hours?
Phone support is available Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm EST at (703) 962-1890.
Email support is available seven days a week at info@devalsolutions.com. Emails received outside of business hours are responded to on the next business day.
How does remote training work?
DEVAL Solutions provides live remote technical assistance and training sessions for all registered PHASE users at no additional charge. During a remote session, our support team works with you directly in real time walking you through workflows, demonstrating features, and answering questions as if we were in the room with you.
Remote training sessions are available by appointment and can cover initial onboarding, staff training, MOR preparation walkthroughs, or any specific workflow your team needs help with. To schedule a session, contact us at info@devalsolutions.com or call (703) 962-1890.
How does PHASE handle platform updates?
PHASE is a cloud-based platform, updates are delivered automatically. You do not need to download, install, or configure anything. The next time you log in, any updates are already in place.
DEVAL Solutions monitors HUD regulatory changes and updates PHASE accordingly to ensure the platform reflects current MOR requirements. When HUD updates its standards, including NSPIRE equirements, EIV rules, or HAP payment procedures, PHASE is updated to match. All registered PHASE clients are notified by email when significant updates are released.
8 — Contact Us
How do I get in touch with DEVAL Solutions to learn more about PHASE?
Our MOR-certified team is available to answer questions, walk you through a personalized demo, or discuss how PHASE can work for your specific portfolio.
We serve HUD Project Based Section 8 owners, property managers, and housing authorities nationwide and in Puerto Rico.