The International Association of Field Service Technicians (IAFST) has released recommendations to HUD pertaining to the upcoming 4.0 PWS. As opposed to the AI generated NAMFS talking points, the IAFST took a deep dive position representing Labor and calling out the horrific fraud, waste, and abuse. Both 24 Asset Management, when it comes to refusing to pay minority firms and Spectrum Solutions Acquisitions when it comes to $75 HPIR services normally paying $400 are some of many reasons to remove the contract from SAM and run it through GSA.
April 30, 2025 – Washington, D.C.
The International Association of Field Service Technicians (IAFST) has formally submitted a comprehensive position paper to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) addressing long-standing issues within the Management and Marketing (M&M) Field Service Manager (FSM) Program. The paper, titled “Position Paper on HUD M&M FSM PWS 4.0 Updates: Labor Compensation, Transparency, Dispute Resolution, and Structural Reform,” outlines a series of critical recommendations aimed at protecting frontline workers, improving program efficiency, and ensuring greater accountability.
At the heart of the paper is a call for fair compensation for laborers performing HUD field services. IAFST highlights that many field technicians—the boots on the ground securing, maintaining, and repairing HUD properties—are not being paid a prevailing wage. Compounding the problem, inflation, rising material costs, and fuel price hikes have outpaced stagnant service compensation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 2010 has the purchasing power of roughly $1.47 today, a 46.66% increase—yet labor compensation has failed to keep pace.
“We cannot continue to ignore the people who are physically performing the services HUD contracts require. These individuals are essential to property preservation, yet they remain underpaid, underrepresented, and without recourse,” said a spokesperson for IAFST.
Among the key recommendations in the position paper:
Implementation of a standardized, documented payment system that records when and how laborers are paid.
Creation of a HUD-designated point-of-contact for labor disputes, empowering workers with a formal channel to resolve payment issues.
Public transparency of FSM prime contractor performance, including CPARS, QASP, and vendor scorecards.
A formalized dispute resolution process and a platform for real-time stakeholder feedback during contract execution.
In a bold structural recommendation, IAFST also proposes the consolidation of the Asset Manager (AM) and Field Service Manager (FSM) roles into a single contract. With foreclosure volumes at historic lows, the organization argues that combining the roles would eliminate inefficiencies, reduce duplication, and enable faster decision-making.
“HUD needs a modern, responsive system that values both fiscal responsibility and human labor. Combining AM and FSM contracts under a unified structure will reduce overhead, streamline communication, and ensure more consistent oversight,” the position paper argues.
The position paper reflects widespread concerns among subcontracted laborers and field service professionals who have struggled with late or partial payments, lack of visibility into the payment chain, and no formal method to challenge discrepancies due to legal barriers such as the doctrine of privity.
IAFST calls on HUD leadership and policymakers to act on the paper’s recommendations, asserting that these reforms are essential not just for field laborers, but for the integrity and success of the M&M FSM program as a whole.
About IAFST
The International Association of Field Service Technicians represents the interests of contractors and Labor who provide field services for government and private sector clients, with a mission to promote fairness, transparency, and labor standards across the property preservation industry.
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