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C-10 · Environmental Reviews (CEST)

Book C — Daily User Guide · Part 3 Property & Environmental · draft v1 (2026-08-29)

Who: rehab specialists / environmental reviewers When: after the property is identified and before bidding — federal funds cannot be committed until the environmental review is complete. Where: project window ▸ ENVIRONMENTAL (CEST) tab, sub-tabs Lead Paint · SHPO · Flood · Toxic · Noise · Radon. 📷 all six ✅ in images/C10/

What you'll end up with

Each environmental factor checked, its evidence captured (map clips, measurements, photos), the lead-paint inspection and clearance requested and received, and the SHPO (historic preservation) letter produced — all saved in the project folder and summarised for IDIS (▸ C-22).

Lead-based paint

  1. The banner reads Year Home Built: 1946 (Lead-Based Paint Testing Is Required) for pre-1978 homes; tick Exempt only when the program allows it. Record the Visual Inspection Date and comments.
  2. Describe the Interior Improvements and Exterior Improvements — both boxes are required before a request can go out ("Complete 'INTERIOR Improvements' box.").
  3. LIRA Request (Lead Inspection Risk Assessment): choose the options — cc Rehab Specialist / cc Loan Coordinator / Print, Email* or Preview, Auto Email, Overwrite Document — then click LIRA Request. Email goes to the inspector set up by your administrator (the footer says who: *Email will be sent to: … (ask Program Administrator to change), ▸ B-10) and stamps LIRA Request Date; record LIRA Inspection Date and LIRA Notes when done. Sending again asks "It looks like you've already emailed this request. Do you want to resend and update the request date?"
  4. Under Lead Hazard Control set Lead Paint Evaluation, Remediation Steps Taken, # of Units Made Lead Safe Compliant and Lead Hazard Control Cost (IDIS reads these). When work is done, Clearance Request works the same way; record Clearance Request Date, Final Clearance Date and notes. 📷 C10-01 Lead Paint sub-tab with improvements and the two request buttons.

Flood

  1. The property address is searched automatically in the embedded FEMA map (wait for PLEASE WAIT FOR FEMA WEBSITE TO FINISH LOADING). Enter Flood Map Date and Flood Map Number from the panel, tick In Flood Zone if it is, and generate the FIRMETTE (Dynamic Map) for the review file. Clear Data and Search starts over. Flood insurance requirements follow from the zone (▸ C-9 Flood Required).

Noise

  1. The Google map opens on the property. For each source — Major Road, Freeway, Railway, Airport — measure on the map and click its Distance button to record it. If a measurement already exists you're asked "Measurement already taken, do you want to update/replace with a new measurement?". Snipping Tool opens Windows' snip so you can clip the map into the project folder; double-click in the address box on the map to paste the property address.

SHPO (historic preservation)

  1. On Section 106 Review, drag and drop the four SHPO photos into the boxes (front, left, right, across the street). Enter Interior Improvements, Exterior Improvements, Source of Age of Property, then Date Submitted and later Determination Date.
  2. Choose Preview Report (toggle), Add Attachments, CC: Supervisor / CC: Administrator, Auto Email / Auto Print, Overwrite Document, then click Print SHPO. HousingOS refuses with "Missing list of improvements", "Missing 'source of age of property'" or "Missing Photos! Please add property photos to this form." until everything is there, then merges the letter with the four photos inserted, saves it in 4 – Section 106, and emails it if asked. The CEST Review block underneath (Environmental Rev. ID, Review Status, Description) is the IDIS environmental record. 📷 C10-02 SHPO sub-tab with four photos attached.

Toxic / hazardous sites

  1. The embedded EnviroStor map opens on the address with the site legend; record the findings and use Snipping Tool to save the map clip.

Radon

  1. Set Radon Exempt (toggle), else record the testing request/results dates and comments, Hazard Found, reduction steps, clearance request/date, Hazard Control Cost and Units Made Safe Compliant. ⚠ UI note for John: the Radon sub-tab shows raw field names (RadonTestingRequest…) — needs labels.

IDIS environmental fields

  1. The CEST Review block (SHPO sub-tab and DATA TRACKING) records the Environmental Review ID, status and description that the IDIS export needs (▸ C-22).

Watch-outs

  • Photos must be in the project's Photos folder before you attach them to SHPO; the letter inserts the file at merge time, so a photo moved later breaks the re-print.
  • Requests are dated by the email, not the preview — Preview lets you check the letter; only Email stamps the request date.
  • Map viewers need internet and, at some agencies, the city's web filter to allow the FEMA/State sites — a blank pane means blocked, not broken (tell your administrator).
  • Section 106 clock — SHPO response times are outside HousingOS; the Behind-Schedule card counts Section 106 Pending from the letter date.

Screenshot shot list (Demo backend)

Shot Where What to capture
C10-01…06 ✅ all six sub-tabs

Video script — "Environmental review" (target 3 min)

# On screen Narration
1 ENVIRONMENTAL tab "Every federally funded project needs its environmental review. Each factor has its own sub-tab."
2 Lead Paint "For pre-1978 homes, describe the work, then request the lead inspection and later the clearance — each request is merged, emailed and dated."
3 Flood / Noise / Toxic "Flood, noise and toxic sites use built-in map viewers; record the findings and snip the evidence into the project folder."
4 SHPO "For historic preservation attach the four photos, list the improvements and the source of the property's age, and HousingOS produces the SHPO letter with the photos in it."
5 Outro "Next: inspections."

Open items for John (this chapter)

  • all answered by screenshots 08-29. Open: Radon field labels (UI).