Dec 14 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is requesting OMB approval for the 2021 American Housing Survey (AHS) and invites public comment to OMB by January 13, 2021.
The purpose of the AHS is to supply the public with detailed and timely information about housing quality, housing costs, and neighborhood assets, in support of effective housing policy, programs, and markets.
Like the previous surveys, the 2021 AHS will collect “core” data on subjects, such as the amount and types of changes in the housing inventory, the physical condition of the housing inventory, the characteristics of the occupants, housing costs for owners and renters, including a redesigned mortgage section, the persons eligible for and beneficiaries of assisted housing, remodeling and repair frequency, reasons for moving, the number and characteristics of vacancies, and characteristics of resident's neighborhood. In addition to the “core” data, HUD plans to collect supplemental data on the renter housing search process, intent to move, housing characteristics that increase wildfire risk, household pets, delinquent payments and notices for mortgage, rent, or utility bills, and smoking.
The process of developing the 2021 AHS supplemental topic modules included consultations with several outside groups.
1. Intent to Move Module: The 2021 supplemental module is sponsored by Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the National Academy of Science Committee on National Statistics.
2. Expanded Housing Search Module: The 2021 supplemental module expands on the core housing search questions. HUD consulted with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
3. Wildfire Risk Module: The 2021 supplemental module is sponsored by National Fire Prevention Association.
4. Pets Module: The 2021 supplemental module was adapted from similar questions in the General Social Survey (GSS). In 2018, NORC at the University of Chicago published results from the GSS pets questions showing more pet owners than was reported in a pets question in the 2017 AHS. Given the importance of the presence of pets to households, and the differing estimates, HUD determined it was worth replicating the GSS survey questions.
5. Delinquent Payments and Notices Module: The questions were developed by a panel of experts assembled by HUD PD&R’s and modified by AHS personnel at HUD and Census. The panel of experts included representatives from the Urban Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Westat, the National Alliance to End Homelessness Research Institute, Abt Associates, and Wayne State University.
6. Smoking Supplement: Smoking Supplement: The questions were suggested by HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and were last included in the 2015 AHS.
In 2015, the AHS began a new longitudinal panel. The sample design has two components: an integrated longitudinal national sample, and an independent metropolitan areas longitudinal sample. The integrated longitudinal national sample includes three parts: (1) 35,731 national cases representative of the US and 9 Census Divisions outside the top 15 metropolitan areas; (2) 12,060 HUD-assisted oversample cases; and (3) 47,175 sample cases of the top 15 metropolitan areas in the US. The total integrated longitudinal national sample for 2021 will consist of 94,966 housing units. In addition to the integrated national longitudinal sample, HUD plans to conduct 10 additional metropolitan area longitudinal samples, each with approximately 3,000 housing units (for a total 30,000 metropolitan area housing units). The 10 additional metropolitan area longitudinal samples were last surveyed in 2017.
AHS webpages -- HUD
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs.html Census Bureau
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html
AHS submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-2528-004 Click on IC List for survey forms, View Supporting Statement for narrative on uses, plans, methods, and timelines.
FR notice inviting comment:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/12/14/2020-27427/30-day-notice-of-proposed-information-collection-2021-american-housing-survey-omb-control-no
Point of contact: George R. Carter III, Acting Director, Housing and Demographic Analysis Division George.R.Carter@hud.gov 202) 708-1600
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806