HUD’S OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH

BIENNIAL REPORT FY 2015-2016

Capacity, Research, Impact

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development  |  Office of Policy Development and Research

Contents

Message From the Secretary

1

Message From the Assistant Secretary

2

1  Who Is PD&R?

3

Introduction

3

Overview, Mission, and Core Function

3

PD&R’s People and Organization

4

2  What PD&R Does

6

How PD&R Sets Its Research Agenda

6

Core Functions in Action

7

Collect and analyze national housing market data

8

Conduct research, program evaluations and demonstrations

18

Provide policy advice and support to the HUD Secretary and program offices

28

3  How Work Is Funded

36

Multidisciplinary Research Team

39

Data Licenses

39

Inhouse Research

40

Research Partnerships

40

4  How PD&R Shares

44

PD&R’s Outreach and Dissemination

44

HUD User 44

PD&R Mobile and Social Media

45

Convenings 46

Periodicals

48

PD&R’s Partner Engagement

54

HUD’S 50th 54

Awards

55

International and Philanthropic Innovation 59

Looking Ahead

62

Message From the Secretary

We are living in a Century of

is the driving force of HUD’s evidence-

Cities—a time when people all

based policymaking.

over the world are moving to urban centers

As one example, the findings from PD&R’s

at a breathtaking pace. Managing the

groundbreaking  The Family Options Study

opportunities and challenges of rapid

led the Administration to seek a historic

urbanization requires that government

investment of $11 billion over the next 10

and our partners in the nonprofit and

years in community-based, cost-effective

private sectors strengthen our commitment

strategies to address family homelessness

to evidence-based policy. That is exactly

through a bold FY 2017 budget request.

what the U.S. Department of Housing

That would provide 550,000 families with

and Urban Development (HUD) is doing.

the assistance they need to lift themselves

HUD’s policies and programs are informed

out of homelessness and into opportunity.

by research and evidence, and we are

investing in innovation, evaluation, and

PD&R’s work and impact reaches

the capacity to shape policy decisions by

far beyond HUD, however. PD&R

what we learn.

is a clearinghouse for sharing lessons

and evidence with practitioners in

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and

the field—providing current policy

Research (PD&R) and the  Biennial Report

information, elevating effective practices,

FY 2015–2016: Capacity, Research, Impact

and synthesizing data and evidence in

underscore what HUD needs to promote

accessible formats. They are an essential

the best possible policies and programs:

component of ensuring a continuous

accurate data, rigorous research, and

learning cycle that informs and uplifts

sound policy advice.  In PD&R, we have

the fields of housing and community

the expertise to do precisely that.

development.

•  On data,  PD&R leads HUD’s

I am immensely proud of PD&R’s many

continuous efforts to improve our ability

accomplishments, as this Biennial Report

to accurately view how our policies

outlines, and of the investments HUD has

and programs affect lives and promote

prosperity in the communities that count

made in PD&R to ensure it can continue

on us.

to serve as a force that improves all of

our work. A robust PD&R is critical to

•  On research,  PD&R works to rigorously

fostering strong housing and community

evaluate HUD’s work—asking the right

development fields, and its work is central

research questions so HUD can invest

public resources wisely, know which

to building a more responsive HUD

programs merit funding, and increase

that achieves our mission of creating

programmatic impact for the people we

sustainable, inclusive communities of

serve.

promise and quality affordable homes

•

for all.

On policy advice,  PD&R thoughtfully

pieces together evidence from within

HUD and from the field—serving as a

partner to HUD’s program offices and

Julián Castro

as an advisor to me and to other senior

Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban

leaders. Propelled by the expertise,

Development

passion, and talent of its staff, PD&R

1   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Message From the Assistant

Secretary

It is my pleasure to present to you the  Our story offers some key lessons about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

importance of—

Development (HUD), Office of Policy

Development and Research (PD&R)

•  Developing the broader infrastructure

that supports research.  This includes

Biennial Report FY 2015–2016: Capacity,

securing better vehicles for supporting

Research, Impact.  The past 2 years have

research, such as noncompetitive

been a particularly productive and exciting

cooperative agreements through  Research

time for PD&R. Several of our largest

Partnerships; learning more from the data

studies (such as the  Family Options Study,

we collect, through efforts such as cross-

Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling

agency data matching; and investing

Demonstration and Impact Evaluation,

in attracting and developing PD&R’s

and the  Housing Choice Voucher Program

biggest asset: its people.

Administrative Fee Study) have produced

•  Focusing on all of PD&R’s core

results, and the findings are directly

functions.  In addition to research and

influencing policy, program, and budget

evaluation, PD&R provides data and

decisions. We are successfully employing

analytical support to program offices

data matching to greatly expand

and develops policy for the Secretary and

knowledge of housing and nonhousing

HUD. Those functions directly improve

outcomes and to answer time-sensitive

program operations and policy decisions,

policy questions much more quickly. We

daily.

designed and implemented our first large-

•  Maintaining and leveraging a broad

scale inhouse rapid-cycle randomized trial

reach.  PD&R’s connections across HUD

to test the efficacy of behavioral “nudges”

(and beyond) have grown considerably

to increase use of Federal Student Aid

wider and stronger in recent years. This

among assisted tenants. We also continue

improves the relevance of our research

to push forward a robust pipeline of work

for the fields of housing and community

development and the ability of PD&R’s

that will have impact for years into the

research to directly inform policy.

future.

This third Biennial Report highlights the

The advances made in these 2 years build

most impactful work of the past 2 years, a

considerably from the previous 6; from the

cumulative story of PD&R’s growth and

sustained decision to invest in PD&R and

ability to build from knowledge creation

our capacity to create the evidence needed

to impact. It is with tremendous pride that

to inform better policy and practice.

I present it to you, on behalf of the full

This is the story of building an evidence

PD&R team.

infrastructure inside a federal agency—

one that can create and use data, analysis,

and research to inform programs across

Katherine M. O’Regan

the agency and one that is well-situated to

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development

drive that evidence into policy decisions.

and Research

2   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

1  Who Is PD&R?

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of Housing and  It focuses on everything that makes up Urban Development (HUD), Office

PD&R: the mission, people, funding,

of Policy Development and Research

projects, data, dissemination and outreach,

(PD&R) is pleased to present its  Biennial

and partner engagement. It also focuses

Report FY 2015–2016: Capacity, Research,

on what makes PD&R so important: its

Impact. The report highlights some of

impact. Throughout the report,  IMPACT

PD&R’s most notable and transformative

IN ACTION sections are highlighted

accomplishments over the past 2 years—

explaining examples of PD&R’s

from October 1, 2014, through September

inclusive efforts.

30, 2016.

OVERVIEW, MISSION, AND CORE FUNCTION

PD&R was established in 1973. The  conducting, supporting, and sharing statutory authority for PD&R’s

research, surveys, demonstrations,

research activities is in Title V of the

program evaluations, and best practices.

Housing and Urban Development Act

This mission is achieved through three

of 1970 (as amended in 1973), which

interrelated core functions as illustrated

authorizes programs of “research,

in the figure  PD&R’s Core Functions

studies, testing, and demonstrations

and as outlined in the structure of this

relating to the missions and programs

report. PD&R provides enterprisewide

of the Department.” The mission of

support for HUD and works to achieve

PD&R is to inform policy development

the Department’s vision to create strong,

and implementation to improve life

sustainable, inclusive communities and

in American communities through

quality affordable homes for all.

PD&R Core Functions

3   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PD&R’S PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION

PD&R’s most important asset is its

market conditions; conduct special studies;

team of 141 employees (at time of

fulfill data requests; and prepare regional

writing) working across 7 offices and 11

summaries of housing market conditions

divisions. One of the many strengths of

and local housing market profiles for

this team is the diverse expertise of staff

publication in U.S. Housing Market

with backgrounds in economics, political

Conditions reports.

science, law, public policy, sociology,

geography, anthropology, criminology,

Fiscal years (FY) 2015 and 2016 welcomed

architecture, engineering, urban planning,

new leadership in PD&R. In April 2014,

business administration, and public

Katherine M. O’Regan was confirmed by

administration.

the Senate and sworn in as Assistant

Secretary for Policy Development and

Among them are PD&R’s 32 field

Research. In March of 2016, PD&R

economists, who work in the 10 HUD

welcomed Matt Ammon as its new General

regional offices across the country. Field

Deputy Assistant Secretary. Prior to

economists are critical not only for PD&R

joining the PD&R leadership team, Matt

but for all of HUD, because they conduct

was director of HUD’s Office of Lead

comprehensive housing market analyses

Hazard Control and Healthy Homes and

for publication; collect and maintain data

has more than 20 years of experience in a

on demographic, economic, and housing

variety of HUD program offices.

4   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PD&R is its people, and FY 2015 and 2016

works alongside PD&R’s experts, and gains

have been a period of investment in

access to cutting-edge data and research.

PD&R’s human capital infrastructure.

PD&R gets the benefit of working with

PD&R has invested and innovated in new

these professionals early in their careers and

ways to attract and develop a diverse and

leveraging their talent and also gets to train

talented team. PD&R has developed an

them on the power and potential of

infrastructure to recruit new talent to work

PD&R’s data and research so that they will

alongside the PD&R team: both interns

be equipped to utilize PD&R’s resources for

and—for the first time—recent post-

the rest of their careers. This investment

doctoral graduates (supported by the Office

will pay off in both increased reach of

of Personnel Management Pathways

PD&R’s research in the field and a pipeline

Program). This effort has mutual benefits.

of talent that considers federal service

This new talent gets a glimpse at life in the

among their career prospects. A win-win.

research and policy arm of a federal agency,

5   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

2  What PD&R Does

HOW PD&R SETS ITS RESEARCH AGENDA

PD&R’s research program is essential  housing and community development.

to helping HUD achieve its mission

After working through this feedback,

to create strong, sustainable, inclusive

PD&R published its first  Research Roadmap

communities and quality, affordable

in 2013, listing priority research for

homes for all. It is critical that PD&R

HUD for FY 2014 through FY 2018. The

look ahead not only for the key research

Research Roadmap has institutionalized

opportunities it will highlight for Congress

systems of participation, efficiency,  and

in the annual budget request but also to

transparency that have had, and continue

develop a multiyear agenda that will ensure

to have, a far-reaching impact.

a robust pipeline of research for years to

come. PD&R uses its  Research Roadmap as

Research Roadmap 2.0: Because the

a strategic, 5-year plan to guide research

Roadmap is a living document that drives

investments and congressional budget

PD&R’s work on a daily basis, ongoing

requests.

renewal is crucial to its success. A major

update to the first FY 2014–2018  Roadmap

The impetus: PD&R launched the

began in 2015 with online outreach that

Research Roadmap very much in response

asked what questions would be important

to a 2008 report from the National

to housing and community development

Research Council of the National Academy

over the next 5 to 10 years and where

of Sciences, titled  Rebuilding the Research

PD&R has a comparative advantage

Capacity at HUD, that found PD&R

in responding to these questions.

needed to incorporate a more collaborative

Throughout 2015, e-mail outreach to

and robust agenda in order to maximize

federal partners and numerous “idea

its funding and research capacities.

lab” meetings generated a surge of fresh

Since then, PD&R has been committed

ideas. Further, PD&R opened “Research

to reestablishing its relevance within

Roadmap Forums” on huduser.gov, where

HUD, making it a more collaborative,

stakeholders could submit ideas and

enterprisewide resource.

research questions. They were asked to

focus especially on areas that have been

The road traveled: An infusion of

rapidly evolving in terms of public needs

funding during FY 2010 (called the

and policy: housing affordability, mobility,

Transformation Initiative [TI]) jumpstarted

education, health, energy and resilience,

Research Roadmap efforts to establish a

place-based strategies, homelessness,

5-year research agenda for HUD. Over

broadband access, fair housing, and

the course of a year, PD&R reached

crosscutting topics. HUD staff participated

beyond the agency to engage with a range

in a thoughtful process of evaluating

of stakeholders, including academics,

and prioritizing research questions and

practitioners, advocates, and policymakers,

developing research project proposals to

to identify the most policy-relevant and

address priority questions.

timely research questions in the fields of

6   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The road ahead: The roadmapping

and solid evidence. The forums on

process serves to reinforce the importance

huduser.gov remain open for stakeholders of ongoing outreach and continuous

to submit ideas at any time—and,

learning. PD&R expects the resulting

further, the  Research Roadmap is now an

FY 2018–2022  Research Roadmap—which

institutionalized process in PD&R and

will be published in early 2017—to serve

a sustainable, renewable tool to create

as a well-defined, strategic, and responsive

a menu of options from which future

plan that will ensure that policy continues

research agendas can be formed.

to be informed by innovative research

CORE FUNCTIONS IN ACTION

PD&R’s core functions are to:

•  Collect and analyze national housing

market data;

•  Conduct research, program evaluations

and demonstrations; and

•  Provide policy advice and support to the

HUD Secretary and program offices.

7   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

CONDUCT RESEARCH, PROGRAM EVALUATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS

IMPACT IN ACTION:

THE FAMILY OPTIONS STUDY

According to data from HUD’s most recent Annual Homeless Assessment Report, more than half a million (517,414) people in families with children used homeless assistance programs in 2014. The  Family Options Study found that the cost to serve a homeless family in emergency shelter for a single month, on average, exceeds $4,800. How could HUD better address this problem? What interventions work best for families with children experiencing homelessness?

Infrastructure for research

To answer these questions, the  Family Options Study was initially funded in 2008 and completed using subsequent appropriations made possible by a substantial increase in research funding beginning FY 2010. Designed as a “gold standard” evaluation with random assignment, over 2,200 families were enrolled into the study from emergency shelter and randomly assigned to one of four interventions: subsidy only (typically in the form of a housing choice voucher [HCV]), project-based transitional housing, community-based rapid re-housing, or usual care.

Families were followed for 3 years, and a robust data strategy was key to this work. Extensive survey data were collected at two points in time (roughly 20 and 37 months after random assignment) to assess outcomes in five domains of family well-being, including housing stability, family preservation, adult well-being, child well-being, and self-sufficiency. In addition, administrative data sources were also used to track family outcomes, including local Homeless Management Information System data, HUD Public and Indian Housing Information Center/Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System data, National Directory of New Hires data, and Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data.

Data and Analytics

In the future, HUD plans to have the data available at the Census Bureau’s Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications (CARRA) to permit a broad set of researchers to analyze impacts using administrative data matching. For example, this would permit tracking of economic impacts on the parents using unemployment insurance records data.

Informing Policy

The evidence from the  Family Options Study shows the pathway for ending family homelessness: it demonstrates that (1) relative to usual care, a long-term housing subsidy like the HCV reduces returns to homelessness by more than one-half at both 18 months and 37 months; (2) other short-term interventions, such as rapid re-housing and transitional housing, have dramatically higher rates of returns to homelessness than the longer-term subsidy; and (3) absent a long-term housing subsidy, rapid re-housing is much less expensive than transitional housing or usual care.

“This study gives us the information we needed to make a really bold statement, a request in the FY 2017 budget for $11 billion to end family homelessness. ”

– Ann Marie Oliva,

Deputy Assistant Secretary

for Special Needs, HUD

8   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The policy reach of the study goes far beyond housing outcomes, however. The study found a number of nonhousing benefits associated with receipt of the long-term housing subsidy. Relative to usual care, the offer of a subsidy significantly improved adult well-being (reductions in psychological distress, intimate partner violence), child well-being (reductions in school mobility, reductions in behavior and sleep problems, and more prosocial behavior), as well as increased food security and decreased economic stress.

The striking impacts of assignment to the subsidy intervention in reducing subsequent stays in shelter and places not meant for human habitation provide support for the view that, for most families, homelessness is a housing affordability problem that can be remedied with long-term housing subsidies without specialized services.

For the crisis response system, the study provides clear evidence that the high costs of emergency shelter and transitional housing programs do not yield improved outcomes for families when compared with the outcomes of families offered rapid re-housing. In the absence of a sufficient supply of long-term subsidies for families experiencing homelessness, rapid re-housing becomes the most useful response for communities seeking to assist homeless families, as the lower cost of rapid re-housing enables communities to serve more families with their limited resources.

The findings from the  Family Options Study led the Administration to seek a historic investment of $11 billion over the next 10 years in community-based, cost-effective strategies to address family homelessness through a bold FY 2017 budget request. At the current time, the homeless assistance system does not provide immediate access to long-term subsidies for most families in shelter. This budget request would target significant funding to families experiencing homelessness by supporting a significant expansion in the availability of rapid re-housing and HCVs dedicated to families experiencing homelessness, in essence, aiming to end family homeless.

9

9 PD&R Biennial Report    FY 20

15–2016

RESEARCH PROJECTS RECENTLY COMPLETED OR CURRENTLY UNDER WAY

Research is core to PD&R’s mission,

made better, through quick-turnaround

providing reliable and objective research

studies as well long-term evaluations that

on housing and community development

systematically assess impacts and outcomes

that is relevant for HUD and for its

and shed light on paths to improvement.

constituents, as well as assisting HUD’s

The following sections discuss the topical

leadership in making informed policy

areas of PD&R’s research, the driving

decisions. PD&R focuses on finding

research questions, and a few key studies

definitive answers to questions about

completed or under way.

what programs work and how they can be

Children and Families

What research questions is PD&R

out of foster care and what programs

answering about Children and Families

exist to provide housing to this specific

through its current and recently completed

set of youth?

research? The studies and key research

•   ConnectHome Pilot Program—What

questions follow.

is the level of in-home high-speed

Internet access/adoption among K-12

•   Family Self-Sufficiency Program

households in the 28 ConnectHome

Demonstration—Is HUD’s primary

pilot communities? Among K-12

program for promoting self-sufficiency

households without in-home high-speed

among assisted adults effective at

Internet, what are the barriers to access/

helping them improve employment and

adoption? How are newly connected

earnings over the long run?

K-12 households using the Internet to

•   Housing for Youth Aging Out of Foster

improve their quality of life?

Care—What is the current state of

housing needs among youth who age

A CLOSER LOOK

achievement, and health of children aged 3 to

Housing and Children’s Healthy

10. Families with eligible children who have

Development Study—How

applied for housing assistance will be randomly

do families make tradeoffs

assigned to obtain a housing choice voucher

among location, affordability,

(HCV) or not. An innovative element in this

and quality of housing? Does

research is that a sample of low-income families

receiving a housing choice

who did not apply for an HCV will also be

voucher (HCV) change the

studied. Baseline and followup measures will

tradeoffs parents make and

be collected through in-person surveys with

impact the quality of housing

participating households. The study will

outcomes? Does having an HCV

investigate how families make housing choices,

result in better outcomes for

the impact of these choices on children’s

children?

outcomes, and the impact of receiving an HCV

on families’ choices and children’s outcomes.

The Housing and Children’s Healthy

Data collection for this study will begin in

Development Study is funded by the MacArthur

2017. The first product of this study will be a

Foundation, the National Institute of Child

public use data set that will be housed at the

Health and Human Development (NICHD),

University of Michigan. HUD is supporting the

and HUD and is co-funded by the Robert

study through an interagency agreement with

Wood Johnson Foundation. The study will

NICHD and a research partnership award to

find out how housing options and their

Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of

links to neighborhoods and schools affect

Public Health.

the socioemotional development, academic

10   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Expanding Housing Opportunity and Affordable Housing Preservation What research questions is PD&R

answering about Expanding Housing

Opportunity and Affordable Housing

Preservation through its current and

recently completed research? The studies

and key research questions follow.

A CLOSER LOOK

will include a deep analysis of census data, a

Assessment of American Indian,

representative national household survey about

Alaska Native, and Native

housing conditions in tribal areas, a qualitative

Hawaiian Housing Needs—

lender survey, and case studies about issues

What is the extent of Native

for American Indians living in urban areas. A

American housing needs and

separate report will communicate findings from

how are these needs being

a household survey of Native Hawaiians and

addressed?

Native Hawaiian stakeholders.

Congress mandated a study of the housing needs

of Native Americans because these needs are

generally known to be severe, but the extent of

the problems is not well quantified. In addition

to collecting new data, this study will use U.S.

Census information describing the needs of the

Native American, Alaska Native, and Native

Hawaiian populations. To provide a broader

context for understanding housing needs

and conditions in tribal areas, the study will

also consider their socioeconomic situations.

Because passage of the Native American

Housing Assistance and Self-Determination

Act (NAHASDA) in 1996 fundamentally

changed the way federal funding is delivered to

tribal people, issues surrounding the changes

NAHASDA has introduced also form a key

part of the study. The study’s components

11   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

A CLOSER LOOK

Congress required that HUD conduct an

Evaluation of HUD’s Rental

evaluation of RAD, particularly focused on the

Assistance Demonstration

preservation and improvement of former public

(RAD)—What is the impact of

housing units, the amount of capital leveraged

RAD on (1) the preservation and

by RAD, and the effect of RAD on tenants. This

improvement of former public

study is currently under way, and an interim

housing units, (2) the amount

report was published in September 2016. As of

of private capital leveraged as

October 2015, properties converting through

a result of such conversion, and

RAD have already leveraged $2.5 billion in

(3) the effect of conversion on

funding, and RAD appears to put converting

residents?

properties in a stronger financial position on an

ongoing basis. PD&R will continue its research

RAD was authorized by Congress in 2012

on RAD, particularly by examining how RAD

to test a new way of helping assisted housing

affects the physical and financial condition of

developments address their backlog of capital

converting properties, and how RAD affects

needs. RAD enables public housing properties to

residents of RAD properties. A final report is

convert to the project-based Section 8 program,

expected in 2018.

which is expected to make it easier for them

to leverage private capital. In its authorization,

Health and Environment

What research questions is PD&R

•   Support and Services at Home

answering about Health and

Evaluation—Does coordinating

Environment through its current and

supportive and healthcare services

recently completed research? The studies

among older adults living in affordable

and key research questions follow.

housing in Vermont result in slower

growth in healthcare utilization and

•   Green and Energy Retrofit Assessment—

expenditures and improve quality of

How effective were grants to public

life?

housing agencies (PHAs) under the

•   Creating Walkable & Bikeable

American Recovery and Reinvestment

Communities—What are the technical

Act in reducing utility consumption in

resources community leaders need to

public housing?

support development and promotion

•   Native American Sustainable Building

of walkable, bikeable communities in

Practices Demonstration—How can

small and midsize cities?

more sustainable construction

techniques be adopted in Native

American communities, and what

are the obstacles to adoption and

implementation?

•   Resident Access to Federally Qualified

Health Center Facilities—Is there an

inherent policy challenge between

HCVs and the Health Resources

& Services Administration’s place-

based efforts to serve underserved

populations in the context of resident

access and utilization of federally

qualified health centers?

12   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

A CLOSER LOOK

will serve low-income HUD-assisted seniors

Supportive Services

(aged 62 or older) residing in Section 202

Demonstration—Can providing

housing and other HUD-assisted multifamily

enhanced service coordination

properties designated for elderly residents.

and a wellness nurse on site

The basic demonstration model consists of

delay nursing home care and

two core components: (1) an onsite, full-time

have positive effects on health

enhanced service coordinator with duties beyond

outcomes and costs for low-

conventional information and referral functions

income elderly residents in HUD-

typical of current HUD-funded service

assisted housing?

coordinators and (2) an onsite, halftime wellness

nurse who will engage in health monitoring

The fiscal year 2014 Consolidated

and promote resident self-care management. At

Appropriations Act gave HUD the authority

each property implementing the demonstration

to develop a demonstration to test a model

model, an enhanced service coordinator and

of housing and supportive services with the

wellness nurse team will work together to

potential to delay nursing home care for low-

assess residents’ needs, connect residents with

income elderly residents in HUD-assisted

appropriate social and health services, and

housing. HUD has developed the Supportive

liaise with providers. The demonstration will

Services Demonstration, which is expected

be implemented in approximately 40 properties

to help HUD-assisted seniors age safely at

over 3 years. HUD expects to make awards and

home, delay or avoid institutionalized care,

launch the Demonstration in 2016. HUD will

and have positive effects on health outcomes

also conduct impact and process evaluations of

and healthcare utilization. The demonstration

the demonstration.

Housing Discrimination

What research questions is PD&R

•   Housing Discrimination Against Families

answering about Housing Discrimination

With Children in Rental Markets—Is

through its current and recently completed

the likelihood of discrimination

research? The studies and key research

against families with children in

questions follow.

rental markets influenced by family

composition, unit size, and testers’

•   Housing Discrimination in the Rental

race and ethnicity?

Housing Market Against People Who Are

•   Rental Housing Discrimination on the

Deaf and People Who Use Wheelchairs:

Basis of Mental Disabilities—Do people

National Study Findings—To what

with mental disabilities experience

extent are people with physical

discrimination in the rental housing

disabilities living in HUD-assisted

market due to their disability and, if

housing experiencing discrimination?

so, to what extent?

•   Housing Search Process of Racial and

Ethnic Minorities—How do racial and

ethnic minority groups differ in their

rental housing search processes?

13   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

A CLOSER LOOK

pilot test of discrimination against transgender

A Paired-Testing Pilot Study

people in a single metropolitan market.

of Housing Discrimination

The study will build upon recent work that

Against Same-Sex Couples and

generated a national estimate of discrimination

Transgender Individuals—What

against same-sex couples using a paired-testing

is the best technical design

methodology via e-mail. The current project

to obtain a baseline in-person

will expand to in-person testing and will also

measurement of housing

include a side-by-side comparison of standalone

discrimination faced by same-

e-mail tests in one market. The goal is to

sex couples and transgender

compare the utility of e-mail-only testing with

individuals?

the utility of testing that culminates in an in-

person visit.

The purpose of this study is to pilot techniques

designed to obtain a baseline in-person

measurement of housing discrimination faced

by same-sex couples in at least two metropolitan

rental markets. The study will also include a

Informing HUD Programs

What research questions is PD&R

•   Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency

answering to Inform HUD Programs

Service Coordinators (ROSS-SC)

through its current and recently completed

Evaluation—Is ROSS-SC funding

research? The studies and key research

being used effectively and efficiently by

questions follow.

grantees to hire and maintain service

coordinators to help public housing

•   Housing Choice Voucher Program

residents attain economic and housing

Administrative Fee Study—How much

self-sufficiency or to age in place and

does it cost a PHA to run an efficient

maintain independent living?

HCV Program for the purpose of

•   Evaluation of the HUD-DOJ Pay for

developing a formula for allocating

Success Permanent Supportive Housing

administrative fees?

Demonstration—Is providing

•   Family Self-Sufficiency Evaluation—

permanent supportive housing within

What are the impacts of the Family

a pay-for-success framework an

Self-Sufficiency program on families

effective and cost-effective approach

who receive HCVs?

to addressing the housing needs of

•   Evaluation of Moving to Work: Activities,

re-entrants experiencing homelessness

Outcomes and Impacts, and Program

either immediately following release

Performance—What can HUD learn

from jail or shortly thereafter?

from Moving to Work initiatives

•   Evaluation of the Section 811 Project

about how to deliver federal housing

Rental Assistance Program (Phases I

assistance to achieve goals of cost

and II)—What are the successes and

efficiency, client self-sufficiency, and

challenges in the implementation of a

increasing housing choice?

new model of housing assistance for

•   Family Self-Sufficiency Sustained Income

extremely low-income people with

Growth Analysis—What is the trajectory

disabilities? What approaches have

of earned income among Family Self-

been more successful at attracting

Sufficiency Program participants?

units to the program and providing

14   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

supportive and integrated housing to

•   Evaluation of the Jobs Plus Pilot

the target population? How effective

Program—How has the initial cohort

is the new model of housing assistance

of nine PHAs participating in the Jobs

for extremely low-income people with

Plus Pilot program implemented the

disabilities? What is the impact of

three core components of the program

the program on participants’ access

(employment-related services, financial

to supportive services and on quality

incentives, and Community Support

of life, housing and health outcomes?

for Work), and to what extent have the

What are the implementation

grantees engaged PHA residents?

challenges and successes?

•   First-Time Homebuyer Education and

Counseling Demonstration and Impact

Evaluation—What impact does

offering homebuyer education and

counseling have on low-, moderate-,

and middle-income prospective

first-time homebuyer outcomes in

three domains: (1) homeownership

preparedness and search; (2) financial

literacy, capability, and management;

and (3) homeownership sustainability?

A CLOSER LOOK

expenditures under the traditional rent system.

Rent Reform Demonstration—

Four Moving to Work public housing agencies

What is the effect of an

are participating: DC Housing Authority,

alternative rent structure in

Lexington Housing Authority, Louisville

the HCV Program on families in

Metropolitan Housing Authority, and San

terms of employment, income,

Antonio Housing Authority. The alternative

and hardship, and on PHAs

rent intervention changes the percentage of

in terms of administrative

income paid for rent, eliminates deductions,

efficiencies, subsidy amounts,

changes the utility allowance, changes the

and number of families served?

frequency of income recertification, and

requires a minimum rent that is directly payable

The Rent Reform Demonstration is designed to

to the landlord. New policies on hardship will

test an alternative to the current HUD-assisted

be in force. Rent reform may affect assisted

rent structure using a randomized controlled

housing residents in terms of the rents they pay,

trial to assess its effect on the income, earnings,

the amounts they save and earn, and the income

and hardship of the residents who rely on

stream to the housing agency that administers

housing choice vouchers. The main goals of

the housing subsidy. A baseline report is

the new rent policy are to (1) increase tenants’

expected in early 2017, an interim report is

employment and earnings in order to help them

expected in early 2018, and a final report

become more self-sufficient; (2) reduce the

including an analysis of household outcomes 30

complexity and burden (and, thus, the cost) of

months after random assignment is expected in

administering the rent policy; and (3) achieve

late 2019.

these outcomes without increasing (and possibly

reducing) total housing subsidy expenditures

for a given number of households relative to

15   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

THE FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER EDUCATION AND COUNSELING

DEMONSTRATION AND IMPACT EVALUATION

As a key example of leveraging research for policy, PD&R has successfully implemented the first large-scale randomized experiment designed to reliably assess the impact of homebuyer education and counseling for a diverse sample of prospective first-time homebuyers on a range of outcomes (mortgage preparedness, homebuyer outcomes, and loan performance). From September 2013 to January 2016, over 5,850 prospective low-, moderate-, and middle-income first-time homebuyers from 28 metropolitan areas were recruited through three national lenders and randomly assigned to a control group receiving no services or to one of two modes of homebuyer education and counseling (remote or in-person services).

This study is critical because it will help HUD understand whether first-time homebuyer education and counseling can be used to expand access to credit and help customers make better choices and achieve housing and financial stability. The study will shed light on what motivates homebuyers to take advantage of education and counseling services, what type of education and counseling they prefer (online, telephone, in-person), and how HUD’s housing education and counseling program can be made more effective. HUD and the housing counseling industry can use these data to inform and improve outreach efforts, messaging, and participation incentives.

The  Early Insights report, featuring 12-month results on the first 2,377 study participants, was published in June 2016 on huduser.gov. The study has already provided information on key issues such as takeup rates (in-person education and counseling had much lower takeup rates than online education or remote telephone counseling), as well as preliminary results that are encouraging in terms of increased mortgage literacy, greater appreciation for communication with lenders, and improved underwriting qualifications. This study’s early findings are consistent with the results of other homebuyer education and counseling studies, though few of those studies are randomized experiments and none are as large scale as this one.

What makes this demonstration unique is that the

recruitment and enrollment process relied on lenders

recruitment of prospective first-time homebuyer

customers who had applied for prequalification,

preapproval, or a loan across the 28 study sites. PD&R

worked with three large national lenders who conducted

outreach to over 136,000 customers, mailed over 136,000

letters, made over 500,000 recruitment calls, and referred

over 18,000 eligible customers to the study team. The

level of private-sector commitment and resources to

design and implement such a large-scale and complex

study cannot be understated. This represents PD&R’s

first involvement in a public and private partnership to

conduct a large-scale randomized experiment.

This study promises to become a foundational source of

evidence for policymakers, lenders, and housing

counseling practitioners and advocates regarding the

impacts and effectiveness of homebuyer education and

counseling. Although it is too early to say, if homebuyer

education and counseling turns out to help homebuyers

reap the benefits of homeownership and minimize the

risks, then homebuyer education and counseling could be

a cornerstone of successfully expanding homeownership

opportunity and decreasing mortgage delinquency and

foreclosures.

16   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Homelessness

What research questions is PD&R

•   Evaluation of the Rapid Re-Housing

answering about Homelessness through its

for Homeless Families Demonstration

current and recently completed research?

Program—What do the rapid re-

The studies and key research questions

housing programs established in the

follow.

23 demonstration communities look

like and how do they differ from

•   Study of PHAs’ Efforts to Serve People

each other and from the design they

Experiencing Homelessness—To what

initially described in their proposal?

extent do PHAs serve and/or prioritize

What happened to the families

homeless households for assistance?

who were served through the rapid

What are PHA perceptions of barriers

re-housing programs launched by the

to, or concerns about, increasing the

demonstration after the assistance

number of homeless households served

concluded?

or targeting homeless households for

•   Evaluation of the FUP/FSS Demonstration

priority housing assistance?

Program—How effective is combining

•   Homelessness Prevention Study—How

HCVs for eligible youth lacking

were the homelessness prevention

adequate housing under the Family

programs funded by the Homelessness

Unification Program with assistance

Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing

under the Family Self-Sufficiency

Program implemented? What lessons

Program?

can be drawn for future research on

•  The  Family Options Study—What are

homelessness prevention?

the impacts of various housing and

services interventions for homeless

families with children?

Place-Based Initiatives

What research questions is PD&R

five sites to receive HUD Choice

answering about Place-Based Initiatives

Neighborhood implementation grants?

through its current and recently completed

•   Evaluation of the Rural Innovation

research? The studies and key research

Fund—What types of projects did

questions follow.

the Rural Innovation Fund (RIF)

fund, how successful were grantees at

•   Choice Neighborhoods research—What

leveraging additional funding, and

were the baseline conditions and

what were the impacts of the larger

redevelopment strategies of the first

RIF grants?

Veterans

What research questions is PD&R

•   Veterans Homelessness Prevention

answering about Veterans through its

Demonstration Evaluation (VHPD)—

current and recently completed research?

How can HUD, VA, and the U.S.

The studies and key research questions

Department of Labor work together

follow.

and improve collaboration to more

effectively serve homeless and at-

•   HUD-VASH Exit Study—What factors

risk veterans? What was the impact

lead to veteran program exits from the

of the VHPD on veterans at risk of

HUD-U.S. Department of Veterans

homelessness?

Affairs (VA) Supportive Housing

program?

17   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND DISSEMINATE NATIONAL HOUSING MARKET AND OTHER DATA IMPACT IN ACTION:

SMALL DIFFICULT DEVELOPMENT AREAS

PD&R annually designates Difficult Development Areas (DDAs), defined as areas with high construction, land, and utility costs, for purposes of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program. Owners of LIHTC

developments who locate their properties in DDAs are eligible for up to an additional 30-percent increase in tax credits to enable the creation of affordable housing in these high-cost, typically higher-rent areas. This boost in tax credits provides a valuable and often crucial incentive for developers of affordable housing. Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code directs HUD to designate DDAs separately for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The number of areas HUD may designate is limited by statute to no more than 20 percent of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan population, respectively.

Data and Analytics

Historically, HUD designated entire metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) as metropolitan DDAs, using metropolitan Fair Market Rents (FMRs) relative to an area’s income limit. All neighborhoods in the MSA received the tax incentive, regardless of costs or rent. This limited the number of metropolitan DDAs to between approximately 30 and 40

metropolitan areas each year, primarily in California and Florida. In practice, many developers received the DDA boost from locating in the lower-cost sections of these metropolitan areas. Although this provided new or renovated affordable housing in the highest-cost cities, that housing may not have required additional tax credits to offset higher development costs. In addition, many undesignated metropolitan areas contained higher-cost neighborhoods that were not eligible for the additional tax credits, posing a deterrent to developing affordable housing in areas of opportunity throughout the country.

HUD reexamined its FMR calculations in 2010 based on the advent of the 5-year American Community Survey data aggregations as a replacement for the decennial census long-form survey. This new data source provides researchers with long-form survey detail but is updated annually instead of decennially. Annually updated data at this granular level enabled HUD to zoom in from the MSA level and instead calculate FMRs by ZIP Codes, due to their nearly universal availability and ease of understandability. These new FMRs are Small Area FMRs (for a greater discussion, see page 35). Following the development of ZIP Code-based SAFMRs, HUD examined the ability to designate DDAs by ZIP Code and the effect it would have to distribute affordable housing toward neighborhoods with potentially greater opportunities for resident access to employment and education.

Informing Policy

PD&R began exploring this change in 2011 and requested public comment at that time. Although HUD announced its intention to adopt this methodology in 2012, the change was not officially incorporated until the designation of the 2016 DDAs in order to provide the industry with significant advanced notice because their financing arrangements often take several years to assemble.

Credit allocations using the more targeted approach of ZIP Code designations began on July 1, 2016. The move to ZIP Code designations has spread the benefit associated with DDAs to each metropolitan area and nearly every state.

In 2015, metropolitan DDAs were concentrated in 2 states, California and Florida, and overall limited to 11 states plus Puerto Rico. The 2016 SDDAs cover parts of 300 metropolitan areas in 46 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Further, this change will provide LIHTC tenants access to better neighborhoods, jobs, and schools. The average poverty rate in DDAs, for example, fell 25 percent, from 14.6 to 10.9 percent, compared with the poverty rate in the areas that would have been designated under the old methodology.

18   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

DATA

PD&R creates, publishes, and maintains

maintains this national data infrastructure

a vast array of data critical for research,

by supporting five major national housing

policy development, and program

surveys as well as other sources of national

implementation in the field of housing

housing data.

and community development. PD&R

The American Housing Survey

The American Housing Survey (AHS)

“I’m very pleased that HUD

is the richest source of information

is adding the Milwaukee

about the nation’s housing stock and

the characteristics of its occupants, and

Area Renters Study (MARS)

it has an important role in assessing the

eviction questions to the

performance of government housing

2017 American Housing

programs. PD&R provides funding,

Survey. The new data will

oversight, and leadership on the AHS

help enable us to better

while the U.S. Census Bureau provides

operational management and conducts

understand—and hopefully

data collection. The funding devoted

address, eviction throughout

to the AHS in FY 2015 enabled PD&R

America.”

to conduct the 2015 AHS with 25

metropolitan surveys and to maintain an

– Matthew Desmond

oversample of HUD-assisted units in order

author of Evicted

to gain reliable statistics on HUD-assisted

tenants’ views of the condition of their

housing. The FY 2015 funding level also

enabled the design and implementation

of three topical modules on subjects of

interest, including access to arts and

culture, food security, and housing

counseling. FY 2016 funding enabled

PD&R to begin developing a web-based

instrument and provides funding for the

2017 AHS national sample. As part of the

redesign process, HUD is exploring how

best to use publically and commercially

available data resources to reduce

respondent burden and improve accuracy

of respondent-reported information.

19   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

MATCHING HUD ADMINISTRATIVE DATA TO HOUSING SURVEYS

Since 1989, HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau have matched administrative data on HUD-assisted tenants to the American Housing Survey (AHS). The matched data are used to generate the report “Characteristics of HUD-Assisted Renters and Their Units.” This report is available for 1989, 1991, 1993, and 2003 on huduser.gov. Reports for the 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 HUD/AHS matches are currently in development. The public can create their own custom tables from the 2013 HUD/AHS matched data using the AHS Table Creator: http://sasweb.ssd.census.gov/ahs/

ahstablecreator.html.

The match between the AHS and HUD administrative data has revealed a number of interesting findings. Compared with unsubsidized renter households, households in public housing units are less likely to be crowded (3 vs. 4 percent) and more likely to receive food stamp benefits (55 vs. 12 percent).

•  Public housing residents are less likely to have a full-service grocery store within 15 minutes of their home (70 vs. 82 percent).

•  They are more likely to always use public transportation to get to work or school (18 vs. 9 percent) and are less likely to have a vehicle to use to evacuate during a disaster event (50 vs. 82 percent).

•  Households in public housing are more likely to say they would have to live in a shelter if they were evicted (9 vs. 2 percent).

HUD administrative data on HUD-assisted units have also been matched to the American Community Survey (ACS), making it possible to analyze veteran status, Internet availability, and racial subcategories. To date, matching has been completed for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

•  The 2013 HUD/ACS match revealed that 269,000 HUD-assisted households house at least one veteran.

•  Findings on Internet connectivity suggest that assisted households with children under 18 are less likely to have a computer or laptop and less likely to have a high-speed Internet subscription than unassisted households with children. Before the match, the extent of Internet connectivity among HUD assisted households was not known. These findings have provided important context for the ConnectHome initiative.

•  The HUD/ACS match also provides insights into the racial composition of HUD-assisted households and the gap between the households eligible for HUD assistance and those receiving assistance. Renters of Chinese descent make up the largest Asian-American subgroup in HUD-assisted housing, representing nearly 50,000 households. Asian-Americans of Indian and Japanese descent had the smallest share of renter households that both were eligible for HUD assistance and were receiving it (6 and 8

percent, respectively).

Future data-matching efforts between HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau include projects matching Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data to census surveys. When matched to the AHS and ACS, the resulting data will provide information on the housing quality, affordability, and demographic makeup of single-family homes supported by FHA mortgage insurance. The matched FHA/census data can be used to determine housing costs and rates of renter occupancy and remodeling activity within units with FHA mortgages. The FEMA data match will help both HUD and FEMA understand the socioeconomic characteristics of households with and without flood insurance.

20   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The Rental Housing Finance Survey

The newest of the national surveys is the

The second RHFS was conducted in 2015

Rental Housing Finance Survey (RHFS),

and data will be available to the public

which includes a nationally representative

in fall 2016 or early 2017. In addition to

sample of data on the financing of

data on the financing of multiunit rental

multiunit rental housing. The first RHFS,

housing, the 2015 RHFS will include data

conducted in partnership with the U.S.

on the financing of single-family rental

Census Bureau, was in 2012, and data were

homes. HUD is planning to conduct the

made available to the public in early 2014.

third RHFS in 2018.

Fair Market Rent Data

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are gross rent

8 contracts, determine initial rents for

estimates that include the shelter rent plus

housing assistance payment contracts in

the cost of all necessary utilities except

the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room

telephones, cable or satellite television

Occupancy program, and serve as a rent

service, and Internet service. Using data

ceiling in the HOME rental assistance

from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American

program.

Community Survey (ACS), HUD annually

estimates FMRs for each metropolitan

HUD has developed Small Area Fair

area and each nonmetropolitan county

Market Rents (SAFMRs) by calculating

to ensure that a sufficient supply of

FMRs by ZIP Codes within metropolitan

rental housing is available to program

areas. Since FY 2013, HUD has conducted

participants. By law, in any fiscal year,

a Small Area FMR Demonstration

HUD must publish and make available the

program at five PHA sites across the

final FMRs for use at the start of that fiscal

country to learn valuable information

year (October 1).

about the implementation and acceptance

of SAFMRs. The demonstration program

HUD uses FMRs primarily to determine

ended on September 30, 2016. HUD

payment-standard amounts for the HCV

hopes to expand the use of SAFMRs in the

Program, determine initial renewal rents

near future.

for some expiring project-based Section

Income Limits Data

Federal law requires HUD to set income

Section 8 Income Limits for every FMR

limits that determine the eligibility of

area, with adjustments for family size and

applicants for HUD’s assisted housing

for areas that have unusually high or low

programs. One of the major active assisted

income-to-housing-cost relationships.

housing programs is the Section 8 HCV

HUD publishes Section 8 Income Limits

Program. HUD’s Section 8 Income Limits

at three levels: Low-Income (80 percent of

begin with the production of Median

area MFI), Very Low-Income (50 percent

Family Income (MFI) estimates. HUD

of area MFI), and Extremely Low-Income

uses the Section 8 program’s FMR area

(greater of 30 percent of area MFI or the

definitions in developing MFI estimates;

Federal Poverty Guidelines as published

therefore, HUD develops income

by the U.S. Department of Health and

estimates for each metropolitan area, parts

Human Services, capped at the Very Low-

of some metropolitan areas, and each

Income level).

nonmetropolitan county. HUD calculates

21   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy Data

HUD has continued to receive annual

prevalence of housing problems among

custom tabulations from the ACS. These

different types of households, such as

data, known as the Comprehensive

those including elderly members, people

Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS)

with disabilities, and minorities. Local

data, demonstrate the extent of housing

governments use the CHAS data for

problems and housing needs, particularly

their Consolidated Plans and for the new

for low-income households. The CHAS

assessment of fair housing (AFH).

data are also important for considering the

Administrative Data

In addition to supporting the major

Multifamily New Construction and

surveys discussed previously, HUD also

Substantial Rehab, Section 236, and

maintains and makes public data using

other multifamily programs.  Picture data

HUD’s administrative systems. HUD

are currently available through 2015 and

maintains data on the approximately 5

can be found on huduser.gov.

million households living in public and

•   LIHTC Data. PD&R annually collects

assisted housing and on community and

data on properties placed in service

housing investments made from such

through the LIHTC. The data are

programs as the Community Development

provided to PD&R by the state and local

Block Grant program, HOME Investment

housing finance agencies (HFAs) that

Partnership, and the low-income housing

administer the LIHTC and includes

information on location, unit size, and

tax credit (LIHTC).

other federal subsidies received. The

•   Picture of Subsidized Households.

database currently includes data on all

Picture of Subsidized Households is a

properties placed into service from the

master compilation of information on

beginning of the LIHTC through 2014,

subsidized housing from HUD’s major

but the most reliable information begins

data collection systems. The report is

in 1995, when PD&R began collecting

useful in answering public policy and

the data.

program questions without revealing the

PD&R also collects demographic and

identity of individual assisted families.

economic information from state HFAs

It presents statistics on the number and

on tenants in LIHTC-financed units as

characteristics of households that receive

required by the Housing and Economic

assistance through federal housing

Recovery Act of 2008. These data are

programs, including socioeconomic

and demographic information such as

published in a report summarizing

family income, race, ethnicity, age of

race and ethnicity, disability status,

head of household, number of household

family composition, annual household

members, disability, and location and

income, rent burden, and use of rental

type of neighborhood. For the report,

assistance by state. The most recent

PD&R aggregates household data by

report includes tenants in LIHTC units as

program and at various geographic

of December 31, 2013.

levels—national, state, city, county,

and census tract. It includes the public

housing program, HCVs, mod-rehab,

22   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

GIS WITH A PURPOSE

PD&R has played a key role in developing

•  In August of 2015, HUD released the

HUD’s geospatial capabilities over the

HUD Resource Locator (HRL), a

past several years. PD&R designed and

mobile and web application designed to

developed HUD’s Enterprise Geographic

connect HUD customers with current

Information System (eGIS) platform, a

information on the availability of

common geospatial infrastructure shared

affordable housing in proximity to any

given location. Since its initial release,

agencywide. The eGIS platform supports

the HRL has seen over 200,000 unique

a number of HUD program functions

user sessions. HUD released a much-

and serves as the Department’s primary

improved version 1.1 of the HRL in June

source for geospatial data, services,

2016. Since then, daily traffic to the

and applications. PD&R designed and

site is up 18 percent, with weekly usage

developed the geodatabase and service-

approaching 7,000 user sessions.

oriented architecture that forms the

•  In September of 2015, HUD released

backbone of the eGIS platform, and it

the eGIS Storefront, a one-stop shop for will continue to oversee the operation,

HUD staff, grantees, and the general

maintenance, and further development

public to search or browse HUD’s

of the platform. To support this effort,

growing catalog of GIS data, services,

PD&R manages a contract that the entire

and applications. The provisioning of

Department is leveraging to create and

geo-enabled HUD administrative and

manage Geographic Information System

other housing-related data in open,

(GIS) solutions.

machine-readable format through the

eGIS Storefront is enabling private-

In addition, PD&R continues to maintain

sector innovation through coding events

the Geocoding Service Center that

like the HUD Zillow Hackathon and geocodes the addresses from all of HUD’s

initiatives such as The Opportunity

programs and is a critical component

Project.

in supporting HUD’s GIS initiatives.

•  In December of 2015, HUD released

PD&R leads the Department’s Geospatial

version 3.0 of the Affirmatively

Coordinating Committee, a formal

Furthering Fair Housing Data and

governance body that manages HUD’s

Mapping Tool (AFFHT). AFFHT 3.0

geospatial portfolio, establishes standards

focused on HUD’s local government

and operational protocols for the eGIS

grantees, providing them with access to

platform, develops the agency’s geospatial

the data and maps they need to conduct

the required AFH. A subsequent update

requirements, and supports the creation of

to AFFHT, version 3.1, completed in

future geospatial solutions.

July 2016, includes several enhancements

Over the past year, the eGIS team has

that improve support for the analysis of

successfully completed several projects

publicly supported housing component

of the AFH and improve accessibility for

that have added value and brought new

disabled users.

capabilities to HUD’s geospatial portfolio.

•  In June of 2016, HUD released the

Preservation Mapping Tool (PMT)

internally. The PMT provides HUD

staff in the Office of Housing with

information about all remaining

mortgage maturities scheduled to occur

over the next 25-year period. The tool

provides visibility on the location of

23   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

legacy HUD properties relative to each

The eGIS team is working on several new

other: whether they are clustered in one

applications, which include—

or two regions of the country or if they

are scattered in various locations across

•  The Community Assessment Reporting

all 50 states. Output generated by the

Tool (CART)—When finished, CART

tool’s reporting functionality can be

will provide a standardized, easy-to-

customized by the user to supplement

read report about HUD’s investment

strategic plans for outreach and technical

in any given community, whether it be

assistance on a year-to-year basis.

a congressional district, municipality,

county, metropolitan area, or state at the

touch of a button, replacing what has

historically been a manual and laborious

“The Affirmatively Furthering

process. The application will be internally

Fair Housing Data and

and externally facing, and its use will be

Mapping Tool (AFFHT) plays

promoted to Congressional and locally

elected officials.

a critical role in helping HUD

•  Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

and its grantees achieve

Data and Mapping Tool 4.x—HUD is

the goals of the updated

expecting to release new functionality

Affirmatively Furthering

in 2017 to provide data and mapping

Fair Housing Rule. The data

support for PHA and state assessments

of fair housing. The eGIS team will be

and mapping capabilities

completing multiple releases for AFFHT

provided by the AFFHT

to include enhancements such as PHA

really help grantees ‘see’

service area definitions and custom

reporting for user-specified, substate

their communities thru the

geographic areas.

data, and in completing a

•  Rental Assistance Demonstration Site

thorough assessment of

and Neighborhood Site Standards—The

fair housing (AFH).  The

eGIS Team will be working on a solution

to assist HUD staff who review RAD

provision of consistent data

applications for site and neighborhood

via the AFFHT exemplifies

standards. The solution will allow HUD

a fundamental change in

staff and RAD applicants to quickly test

whether the location of a planned RAD

the relationship between

development is in an area of minority

HUD and grantees to one of

concentration based on the rule specified

collaborative partnership.”

in the official public notice. Trend

data will also be provided to help staff

– Gustavo Velasquez

determine if the proposed development is

Assistant Secretary for Fair

in a “revitalizing area.” This solution will

Housing and Equal Opportunity,

reduce grantee and staff burden while

HUD

streamlining this particular aspect of the

RAD application process.

24   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

PD&R AND DISASTER RECOVERY

HUD provides important support to communities that experience disasters. PD&R has two main responsibilities when a disaster hits, support for the immediate disaster response and for long-term recovery. The following is a profile of the disaster response to the August 2016 flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Immediate Response

One of PD&R’s first tasks is to assess whom is affected immediately after a disaster. This poses data challenges.

For the August 2016 Baton Rouge flooding, PD&R was able to share with local staff more information faster due to HUD and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) investments in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Both FEMA and HUD have significantly enhanced their GIS capacity in recent years, to the point that both aggregate the data from all or nearly all of their programs and make that information available publicly. For the August 2016 flooding in Louisiana, both agencies made their data available in a way that they could easily be merged.

For HUD, this provided significant value for—

1.  Identifying the extent to which the various households that had a relationship with HUD—public housing, housing choice vouchers, multifamily assisted and insured, single-family insured—have been impacted by the flooding and help target HUD’s outreach to partners in the community.

2.  Projecting early what types of long-term recovery needs are likely.

In addition to understanding whom is affected, PD&R staff provide update information on predisaster market conditions, were on the ground in Baton Rouge helping FEMA in assessing damage, and facilitated data matching with FEMA data to identify what prestorm homeless and HUD assisted households were displaced and living in temporary housing in order for HUD staff on the ground to speed up their move back into permanent housing.

Long-Term Recovery

A key piece of long-term recovery work is accomplished through supplementary disaster funding through the Community Development Block Grant. Although the provision of such funding is up to Congress, understanding the scale of the damage and nature of recovery work is key to determining the dollar amount of such funding. PD&R

provides estimates based on FEMA data on the scope of impacts (including whether structures were destroyed or damaged) and historical approaches to funding.

“PD&R has been a great partner in our disaster response and recovery.  They have been with us since Katrina hit more than 10 years ago and their timely data and analysis have been beneficial to our teams on the ground working to provide guidance to survivors in Baton Rouge in 2016”

– Earl Randall,

New Orleans Field Office Director, HUD

25   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

ADDITIONAL DATA EFFORTS

Housing Scorecard

PD&R obtains data from many sources to

to purchase a home. In addition to the

compile the monthly Housing Scorecard,

monthly national Housing Scorecard,

which documents progress toward the

PD&R prepares a regional scorecard

efforts to stabilize the housing market and

addendum on a quarterly basis for

help American homeowners recover from

selected metropolitan area markets. Each

the Great Recession. A rental affordability

addendum details the unique way that the

index, which measures the ability of a

Great Recession has affected each of these

renter household with median income to

housing markets and how communities

lease a home, was added to the Scorecard

have incorporated the Administration’s

in September 2016. The index is compared

housing and neighborhood aid programs

with NAR’s quarterly composite housing

into local strategies to stabilize their

affordability index, which measures the

housing markets and to advance the

ability of a family with median income

recovery.

Housing Market Reports

PD&R’s field economists prepared more

inventory characteristics of a specific

than 100 Comprehensive Housing Market

housing market area during three periods:

Analysis reports for selected metropolitan

from 1990 to 2000, from 2000 to the

housing market areas during FY 2015

as-of date of the analysis, and from the

and 2016. These reports, located on

as-of date to a 3-year forecast date. The

huduser.gov, assist and guide HUD in its

reports present counts and estimates of

operations and have proven to be useful to

employment, population, households, and

builders, mortgagees, and others concerned

housing inventory. Recent reports include

with local housing condition trends. For

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland;

each analysis, field economists develop a

Bloomington, Illinois; Myrtle Beach-

factual framework based on information

Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South

available, as of a particular date, from both

Carolina-North Carolina; Phoenix-Mesa-

local and national sources. Each analysis

Scottsdale, Arizona; San Antonio-New

takes into consideration changes in the

Braunfels, Texas; and San Francisco-San

economic, demographic, and housing

Mateo-San Rafael, California.

26   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

HUD-NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS DATA LINKAGE

In FY 2015, PD&R shared housing assistance administrative data from 1996 through 2014 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for data linkage. Through their inhouse data linkage program, NCHS linked longitudinal HUD data with two of the largest cross-sectional population health surveys—the National Health Interview Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in its effort to link health and housing data.

Released publicly in March 2016, the linked data set contains HUD administrative data linked to 14 years (1999

through 2012) of cross-sectional health survey data. This data set allows researchers to examine the relationship between assisted housing and factors that influence health status, chronic disease, healthcare utilization, morbidity, and mortality. Prior health and housing studies focused on localized studies and anecdotal information; however, this new data product is particularly impactful because it allows for national prevalence estimates of health outcomes among HUD-assisted children and adults—estimates that were previously unobtainable.

Research studies using the linked HUD-NCHS data revealed key findings and provided invaluable evidence that housing is a key social determinant of health.

•  A recently published study revealed that HUD-assisted children experience lower blood lead levels when compared with peer counterparts not receiving housing assistance (Ahren K., et al., 2016).

•  Consistent with the momentum of the smoke-free public housing rule, the linked data also provided important prevalence estimates regarding cigarette smoking. The prevalence of current cigarette smoking among HUD-assisted adults from 2006

through 2012 was 33.6 percent, and over one-half of all adults reported attempts to quit (Helms et al., 2016). These findings highlight the potential of secondhand smoke incursion and the need to provide targeted cessation support to assisted residents.

•  Lastly, a collaborative U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)-HUD study found that assisted renters had higher levels of health insurance and lower levels of unmet need due to cost relative to people who were not assisted but would go on to receive HUD assistance in less than 2 years (Simon A., et al, 2016).

These key findings represent only a small portion of the larger HUD portfolio of work using the HUD-NCHS

linked data. By conducting secondary data analysis using the linked data, PD&R researchers are establishing health and housing evidence and providing data to promote informed policymaking.

In addition to concrete research findings, the data linkage also highlighted the impact of PD&R’s interagency data linkage initiatives. The interagency Memorandum of Understanding allowed both agencies to conduct the linkage cost free. The linkage was mutually beneficial to both HHS and HUD. By leveraging PD&R’s geocoding services, HUD agreed to geocode NCHS health survey data. In return, NCHS conducted linkage processes. NCHS-HUD

interagency projects bring together experts from both sectors, allowing for robust and meaningful research.

In summary, the HUD-NCHS data linkage aligns with HUD’s strategic goal to utilize housing as a platform to improve quality of life. The linked data set allows PD&R researchers to conduct robust inhouse research to further examine housing as a social determinant of health. Key findings have provided evidence about health and housing to promote informed policymaking.

27   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PROVIDE POLICY ADVICE AND SUPPORT TO THE SECRETARY AND PROGRAM OFFICES

IMPACT IN ACTION:

THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE

FEE STUDY

Since the 1974 creation of the Section 8 tenant-based program, now called the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, HUD has provided administrative fees to public housing agencies (PHAs) to administer the program (maintain wait lists, conduct intake and income verification, inspect units). The fee amount paid to PHAs has evolved over time for a variety of reasons, some based on hypothesized cost relationships and some based on budget needs, but in the 2000s Congress had begun to question the method being used.

Infrastructure for Research

To answer this question, planning began with modest funding from PD&R and the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) in September 2009. The opportunity to do a comprehensive study was made possible by the large increase in research funding in HUD’s FY 2010 and an agreement by congressional appropriators that this was a study that needed to be done.

The  Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Fee Study was designed to evaluate the amount of funding needed to administer a high-performing, efficient HCV Program based on direct measurement of the work actually performed by HCV administrators and a detailed collection of overhead and nonlabor costs associated with the program at a sample of 60 high-performing PHAs.

Through a very detailed and methodical approach, this study captured all costs incurred (labor, nonlabor, direct, indirect, overhead costs) at a broad sample of 60 PHAs operating high-performing and efficient HCV programs across the country between 2012 and 2014. Through an innovative use of Random Moment Sampling, the study directly measured the time PHA staff spent on the HCV Program overall and on core program activities, collecting 581,000

data points from more than 900 PHA employees. The study used these data to model the total administrative cost per HCV for each PHA in the study, as well as costs for the major tasks involved in HCV administration at different types of PHAs operating in different labor and housing markets and serving different client populations.

Data and Analytic Support

Critical to using the results in the study to develop a new formula for determining the appropriate amount of funding was to establish what the relationship is between data reported by PHAs, such as whom they serve and where they serve them, with the data collected from the 60 PHAs. PD&R staff maintain these data and worked with the research team to identify the administrative data that were the best predictors of cost.

After analyzing over 50 cost variables with theoretical and statistical relationships to the costs measured, the study proposed a new administrative fee formula based on seven cost drivers that cover the actual costs to administer the HCV Program. The study’s recommended formula accurately predicts 63 percent of the variance in agency costs among the 60 PHAs studied, whereas the current formula predicts only 33 percent of the variance in agency costs.

28   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Informing Policy

The study found overall that the HCV Program is significantly underfunded. For the July 2013-through-June 2014

period, the fees received by the average PHA covered only 77 percent of the estimated cost to administer the program.

The study also showed that the funds could be more efficiently targeted using the recommended formula from the study. Using the study results, HUD published a proposed rule to change the HCV administrative fee formula to reflect the study findings.

This study shows how a scientific and robust research,

designed and implemented by PD&R, has answered two

critical questions for the nation’s largest housing assistance

program: (1) How much would be needed annually to

fund HCV Program appropriately? (2) How should those

funds be allocated to individual PHAs? PD&R developed

evidence, incorporated input from a diverse array of expert

and industry technical reviewers, incorporated public

comment, and worked with key PIH staff to support an

increased budget request for administrative fees and develop

a proposed rule that would improve the allocation of HCV

Program funding and improve program operations.

“The Administrative Fee Study provided us with the hard data and analysis we need to show how much it really cost to administer our largest housing assistance program and the changes we need to make for the administrative fee formula to reflect those actual costs.”

– Michael Dennis,

Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Public and Indian Housing, HUD

29   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

POLICY

PD&R provides policy advice and support

for program and policy design and

to the Secretary and program offices.

implementation and for new initiatives.

PD&R’s deep knowledge of HUD

The following sections outline excerpts of

programs, history, policy and research

work in this arena.

means it serves as a cross-HUD resource

HUDSTAT

The Government Performance and Results

sometimes from partner agencies, attend

Act Modernization Act of 2010 calls upon

these meetings to address challenges,

agencies to use evaluation and research

review metrics, improve internal and

to identify evidence-based strategies for

external collaboration, and increase

reaching intended objectives. PD&R’s

performance. PD&R made significant

research and evaluation program focuses

contributions to the assessments of progress

on HUD’s strategies for achieving its

in achieving strategic objectives during

strategic goals. One way that PD&R

the past 2 years. Contributions include the

contributes evidence to achieving the

provision of data to measure key metrics

Department’s goals is through HUDStat.

such as rates of severe rent burdens and

affordable housing construction. Research

HUD conducts regular data-driven

evidence is essential to conversations about

performance reviews—HUDStat

moving the needle on key metrics. For

meetings—that focus on quarterly progress

example, PD&R developed metrics to

toward achieving each of HUD’s priority

assess whether HUD-assisted children live

goals. The Secretary and senior leadership

in neighborhoods with proficient schools.

from throughout the agency, and

HOUSING AND EDUCATION

A continued focus at HUD is the

1.  Leveraging public and private

importance of housing as a platform

partnerships that support educational

for healthy child development and

attainment of residents, improve

upward mobility. HUD has moved more

access to high-quality educational

robustly into that space, and PD&R has

materials and college preparation

been a thought partner in that effort.

resources, and gather and disseminate

In recognition of the importance of

best practices to the field. HUD has

education, HUD established an agency

signed several Memorandums of

priority goal of improving the educational

Understanding (MOUs) with private

attainment of HUD-assisted residents.

partners (The Campaign for Grade

In order to meet the goal, PD&R has

Level Reading, Bill & Melinda Gates

partnered across the Department on three

Foundation, MacArthur Foundation,

major work streams.

Learning for Life, and First Book)

that have increased residents’ access to

educational materials and PHAs’ and

housing owners’ capacity to implement

education strategies.

30   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

2.  Increasing coordination with

approaches to increase HUD residents’

federal partners (such as the U.S.

completion of the FAFSA and access to

Department of Education) to develop

higher education. (See  IMPACT IN

interagency strategies and improve work

ACTION for further discussion).

in the field.

Second, PD&R is advising HUD in the

3.  Encouraging data sharing and

development of a “local data sharing

research between housing providers

road map,” which will offer

and education systems to better

communities a guide to how they can

understand residents’ educational needs

better understand the educational

and the impact of strategies to address

performance of children in assisted

them. First, PD&R coordinated a

housing and better target data-driven

signed data sharing agreement with the

interventions.

Department of Education’s Federal

Student Aid office that permits HUD

to better understand rates of Free

Application for Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA) completion and other

outcomes among HUD-assisted youth

and young adults. Building off this

agreement, PD&R has launched

experiments and an education navigator

program funded by ROSS to test

31   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

INCREASING COMPLETION RATES OF THE FREE APPLICATION FOR

FEDERAL STUDENT AID AMONG HUD-ASSISTED YOUTH

Another data matching success has helped HUD learn more about whether assisted residents are applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and pursuing higher education. PD&R, in partnership with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has completed its first inhouse, low-cost, large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). The goals of this project were to (1) nudge HUD-assisted youth ages 17 to 20 in households receiving housing choice vouchers (HCVs) to complete the FAFSA and (2) explore PD&R’s capacity to conduct inhouse research and collaborate with other agencies.

Completing the FAFSA is a complex process, but it is also a necessary process in order to receive federal student financial aid. Unfortunately, many youth and young adults who qualify for financial aid never receive it because they simply fail to complete a FAFSA. Using insights from the social and behavioral sciences, PD&R, SBST, and FSA designed a series of nine mailings that varied in sender, content, and format to test whether this approach could increase FAFSA completion rates among HUD-assisted youth. Mailings either incorporated FSA’s logo or First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative (sender); included standard language from FSA or a personal note from the First Lady (content); and were formatted as a standard letter, standard letter with a paper FAFSA application, or postcard (format).

In March 2016, approximately 45,000 mailings (5,000 of each type) were sent across the country to randomly selected youth ages 17 to 20 in HCV households. FAFSA completion rates were assessed in August 2016 using HUD-FSA linked administrative data; completion rates in the nine groups were compared with completion rates in a control group of approximately 158,000 youth in HCV households who did not receive a mailing. Preliminary analysis found no significant effect of sending mailings on the rate of FAFSA completions, although the most effective sender was the First Lady using her personal story and the most effective format was the letter including the paper FAFSA.

Although this first experiment had no significant effects, this was over all a success for PD&R. This was the first large-scale RCT HUD has ever conducted fully inhouse, and from project conception to results the entire experiment was conducted in a year. Importantly, this also demonstrated PD&R’s ability to effectively work with partner agencies and link administrative data to support research, and PD&R has moved forward with two additional experiments.

32   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PROSPERITY PLAYBOOK

As recent research has made evident, there

residents, philanthropists, developers,

are still many communities in all regions

and advocates—from across each region

of the country where upward mobility is

shared input. These diverse voices are

thwarted—where a child’s future earnings

critical to the success of Prosperity

and adult outcomes are significantly

Playbook as HUD leverages and

impeded by the neighborhoods in

strengthens current partnerships in the

which they live. Findings from that

region to accelerate existing activities,

research support a balanced approach of

amplify the impact of that action

empowering economic mobility while

across the region, and catalyze other

also reinvesting in and developing access

communities across the country to act.

to opportunity in neighborhoods. That is

These communities have each kicked

why HUD, in collaboration with partner

off work plans on key issues to move

organizations at the local and national

forward with support from HUD.

levels, launched a new initiative early in

2.  Online toolkit.  As a result of the

2016 called Prosperity Playbook. Through

ongoing work in each of the initial

Prosperity Playbook, HUD is partnering

contributing regions, Prosperity

with a handful of cities and their

Playbook includes, among other new

surrounding regions to plug into existing

resources, an online toolkit of curated

efforts that address expanding economic

case studies and best practice that

mobility and housing affordability.

support the objectives of the initiative.

The partners’ objectives are to (1) learn

The toolkit can be accessed on

from communities that are already

huduser.gov.

engaging and innovating in these areas

and (2) collaborate with communities in

3.  Community of Practice.  Recognizing

highlighting and amplifying promising

the value of local leadership and the

approaches.

innovative ideas at the community

level, Prosperity Playbook serves as a

Prosperity Playbook fully recognizes the

platform for exchange between cities

value of local leadership and local ideas

and between HUD and local partners.

as well as the need to create a platform to

As part of this effort, the Prosperity

share those ideas across regions and across

Playbook Community of Practice

the country. Prosperity Playbook has three

is a network of leaders dedicated to

major components.

addressing the fundamental equity

considerations that are at the forefront

1.  Regional convenings.  Prosperity

of the challenges in their cities. This

Playbook kicked off with a community

active network will be a resource to its

tour to the initial five contributing

members, not only to share the great

places: the Kansas City, Missouri

work taking place across the country

region; the Twin Cities region of

but also to serve as a bridge to the next

Minnesota; the Greater Atlanta,

Administration and ensure that HUD

Georgia region; the Denver, Colorado

and its partners continue to build upon

region; and the San Francisco Bay Area

their progress.

in California. At each of these sessions,

moderated by Assistant Secretary

Katherine M. O’Regan and Principal

Deputy Assistant Secretary Harriet

Tregoning, stakeholders—mayors,

33   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Collaboration is the foundation of

PD&R has played an integral role in

Prosperity Playbook. In addition to the

Prosperity Playbook—from providing

mayors and diverse stakeholders who have

policy advice to frame the initial concept,

signed on to support Prosperity Playbook

to leadership by Assistant Secretary

in their region, the initiative is also

O’Regan and former Policy Deputy

supported by a team of national partners:

Assistant Secretary Lynn Ross, to hosting

the American Planning Association,

and updating the toolkit (led by the

Enterprise Community Partners, the

Office of International and Philanthropic

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the

Innovation [IPI]) on huduser.gov.

National League of Cities.

ROLE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS

Using evidence-based approaches in

PD&R is essential to the Department’s

the budget-making process can lead

regulatory efforts. Every proposed and final

to important gains in areas ranging

rule HUD puts forward must be

from reducing veterans’ homelessness

accompanied by a Regulatory Impact

to improving educational outcomes.

Analysis (RIA). The RIA includes an

The FY 2017 budget proposed to take

analysis of direct and indirect economic

additional evidence-based approaches

impacts, a quantification of nonmarket

to scale. It also strengthened the base

costs and benefits, a discussion of the need

of available evidence to enable future

for the policy, an analysis of alternative

Administrations and the Congress, as well

regulatory actions considered, and in some

as state, local, and tribal leaders, to drive

cases, an analysis if the impact on small

even more resources to policies backed

entities. The completion of an RIA requires

by strong evidence. PD&R is essential

coordination with HUD program offices,

to that process—PD&R partners and

the Office of General Counsel, other

advises program offices on their budget

agencies, and the Office of Management

requests to ensure they are informed by

and Budget (OMB). This effort is led by

evidence. PD&R provided dashboards of a

the Economic Development and Public

variety of demographic and programmatic

Finance Division in PD&R’s Office of

information to support requests for

Economic Affairs and is a key example of

funding in a variety of areas.

PD&R’s central and cross-Departmental

role in policymaking. In addition, PD&R

reviews the rules of other agencies that may

affect housing or mortgage markets when

requested by OMB.

34   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

IMPACT IN ACTION:

SMALL AREA FAIR MARKET RENTS

PD&R’s work on Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) is an example of taking its expertise on data into policy action. A critical component of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is the opportunity for families with a voucher to select the neighborhood and housing unit they wish to live in within the financial limits of the subsidy the HCV provides. The amount of the subsidy is determined by several factors including the family’s income, and the payment standard set by the PHA administering the HCV, which is based on the Fair Market Rent (FMR) calculated by PD&R.

FMRs are gross rent estimates of rent plus necessary utilities. HUD sets FMRs to assure that a sufficient supply of rental housing is available to program participants. To accomplish this objective, FMRs must be both high enough to permit a selection of units and neighborhoods and low enough to serve as many low-income families as possible.

Currently they are set at the 40th percentile—which should give families access to 40 percent of standard quality units in the metropolitan area. However, these units may not be located across all portions of an FMR area. In practice, there may be few rental units in high-opportunity neighborhoods with commensurate high rental rates that HCV holders can afford. If one were to step back and design the HCV Program today utilizing advances in data collection techniques and availability of such data, coupled with the knowledge that rental housing market conditions vary by neighborhood, it is unlikely that the design would include a single FMR for an entire metropolitan area.

However, due to data limitations at the onset of FMR calculations, that was the most precise measurement available.

HUD reexamined its FMR calculations in 2010 based on the advent of the 5-year American Community Survey data aggregations as a replacement for the decennial census long-form survey. This new data source provides researchers with long-form survey detail but is updated annually instead of decennially. Annually updated data at this granular level enabled HUD to zoom in from the metropolitan level and instead calculate FMRs by ZIP Codes due to their nearly universal availability and ease of understandability. These new FMRs are SAFMRs.

HUD recognized using SAFMRs to set payment standards represents a fundamentally different way of operating the HCV Program in metropolitan areas; therefore, HUD is testing SAFMRs through a demonstration program to better understand the programmatic impacts of changing the way HCV payment standards are set. HUD created a random selection algorithm to select PHAs to be offered the opportunity to participate in the demonstration. Five PHAs accepted HUD’s offer to participate and used SAFMRs in their HCV Program operations from FY 2013 to FY 2016.

In addition to the five demonstration PHAs, housing authorities across the Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR area have been using SAFMRs since FY 2011 as part of a fair housing lawsuit settlement. HUD has reviewed promising research from Dallas that demonstrates tenants are choosing and able to move to areas with less crime and lower poverty. Coupling this research with findings from Raj Chetty on the benefits to children’s lifetime outcomes of living in low-poverty neighborhoods, HUD began the process of expanding the use of SAFMRs to targeted areas where a significant portion of voucher holders live in high-poverty areas and where SAMFRs might help families access better neighborhoods.

In 2015, HUD published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to begin the process of expanding SAFMR

usage. Based on the comments received on the advanced notice, and HUD’s continued experience with SAFMRs, HUD published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in June of 2016. HUD hopes to complete the rulemaking in the near future and is committed to delivering a final rule that improves voucher holders’ ability to access higher-opportunity areas in the places where HCV households are particularly concentrated in high poverty neighborhoods, and SAFMRs are most likely to be effective while taking into account the public comments provided on the proposed rule.

35   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

3  How Work Is Funded

The core of PD&R’s funding is

for the next several decades. Prior to this

appropriated through what is called

infusion of funding, the National Research

the Research and Technology (R&T)

Council’s 2008 evaluation of PD&R,

account. This core R&T funding

Rebuilding the Research Capacity at HUD,

establishes the nation’s basic infrastructure

pointed to the inadequacy of evaluation

of housing data and research, through

resources, limited to R&T, for informing

regular surveys, data compilation of

the Department on how to invest program

HUD’s administrative data across all

resources with the greatest effectiveness,

of HUD’s programs, core research and

efficiency, accountability, and innovation.

evaluation in the areas of housing and

The FY 2010 TI resources were an answer

community development, and public

to the call from the National Research

dissemination of the data and research.

Council for more research and evaluation

resources.

From FY 2010 to FY 2014, additional

funds were appropriated for research,

However, beginning in FY 2015 and

evaluation, and demonstration under a

continuing in FY 2016, no funds were

separate account: HUD’s Transformation

appropriated for TI and instead research,

Initiative (TI) account. The TI account

evaluations, and demonstrations were

was initially established as a percentage

funded from a modest increase to the

amount of program fund dollars to

R&T account. Acknowledging the

serve as a predictable, flexible stream of

discontinuation of the TI account, the

funding – the kind that is ideal for high-

President’s FY 2017 budget request

quality research and evaluation projects

supports a well-planned, rigorous,

and program demonstrations that inform

sustained, and effective evaluation program

sound policymaking and effective program

through a percentage set-aside of program

implementation. The first year of TI,

account funds being allocated to the R&T

FY 2010, was an important moment in

account.

PD&R’s history because it provided a

large infusion of funding to support the

The following graph shows the history

of PD&R for research, evaluations, and

complex and important research studies

demonstrations from FY 2008 through

that will inform national housing policy

FY 2016.

36   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

A CLOSER LOOK

development. Taking this longer view—

The Impact of the Transformation

studying enduring policy questions that bridge

Initiative

Administrations—is one of the most important

roles that a policy research office within a

Large-scale studies, employing the rigorous

federal agency, such as PD&R, can assume.

methodologies needed for causal inference, are

Doing so requires the investment of both

the primary projects PD&R has dedicated its

resources and time, along with the appropriate

increase in research and evaluation funding—a

high-quality methodology, to measure efficacy

marked change from previous decades. PD&R

and impacts.

has initiated seven large-scale, multiyear studies

since 2009, each expected to cost more than

It is important to note that Transformation

$5 million: the  Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Initiative (the infusion of $135 million in

Evaluation; Pre-Purchase Homeownership

funding PD&R received from 2010 through

Counseling Demonstration and Impact

2014) enabled PD&R to launch these studies.

Evaluation;  the  Family Options Study; Rent

The level of funding provided for research and

Reform Demonstration; Housing Discrimination

demonstrations through PD&R’s typical annual

Study; Housing Choice Voucher Program

appropriations has been insufficient to launch

Administrative Fee Study;  and  Assessment of

these types of large-scale, ambitious projects; they

American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native

were possible only through significant infusions

Hawaiian Housing Needs.

of funding (or much greater average annual

appropriations). The fact that findings from these

Combined, these studies represent two-thirds

studies are highlighted throughout this report as

of PD&R’s funding for research and evaluation

some of PD&R’s most impactful work reinforces

since 2009. They aim to answer fundamental

the importance of such funding infusions for

questions about policy effectiveness and

building evidence that informs policy.

impact, the type needed for long-term policy

In FY 2015, Congress appropriated $50

Congress enacted $60 million in R&T

million in core R&T funds for PD&R.

funds for PD&R. In addition, there was a

In addition, there was a $2.744 million

$10.872 million carryover, recaptured and

carryover, for a total of $52.744 million.

reimbursed funds, for a total of $70,872

A great portion of the core R&T funding

million. The following table details actual

was used for housing surveys, including

obligations for FY 2015 and projected

the AHS. The core R&T account also

obligations for FY 2016.

funds four other housing surveys and

knowledge management. In FY 2016,

37   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY OBLIGATIONS

Dollars in Thousands

FY 2015

FY 2016

(ACTUAL)

(PROJECTED)

Core research and technology (R&T)

$33,082

$47,891

Knowledge management/research support

5,778

6,396

Program metrics/urban data

1,742

2,167

Housing finance studies

299

0

Research partnerships

1,504

476

Housing technology

218

252

Research, evaluations, and demonstrations

1,999

4,169

Pay for Success evaluation

0

1,000

Total core R&T

$44,622

$62,351a,b

FY = fiscal year.

a Recaptured and reimbursed funds included.

b Projected carryover of $8.521.

RESEARCH, EVALUATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS OBLIGATIONS IN

THE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNT

Dollars In Thousands

FY 2015

FY 2016

(ACTUAL)

(PROJECTED)

Pre-Purchase Counseling

$1,999

$127

Sustainable Mobility

0

322

Multidisciplinary Research Team

0

220

Accelerating Disaster Recovery

0

1,000

FAFSA Outreach

0

100

Evaluations of Energy Performance in Public Housing

0

400

Homeless Youth Research

0

2,000

Total

$1,999

$4,169

FAFSA = Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

FY = fiscal year.

38   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM

The Multidisciplinary Research Team  •  Opting In, Opting Out A Decade Later: (MDRT) is an ongoing contract

Multifamily Housing Preservation

initiated in 2014 to manage a team of

Study—Study of multifamily housing

qualified researchers to expand the ability

preservation, rates of prepayment, and

of PD&R to obtain high-quality, short-

opting out of HUD assistance contracts

turnaround research to help support

using administrative data; updates 2006

“Opting in, Opting Out” study.

HUD’s priority policies and goals. The

MDRT is unique in that the research

•   Effect of Qualified Al ocation Plan (QAP)

is intended to be produced in a timelier

Incentives on the Location of LIHTC

manner, as opposed to PD&R’s larger

Properties—Examines whether and how

research contracts that typically have

the features of state QAPs shape the

siting patterns of LIHTC developments.

longer time horizons for completion.

•   The Quality of America’s Assisted Housing

Projects completed through MDRT

Stock: Analysis of the 2011 and 2013

include—

American Housing Survey—Analysis of

housing quality in public and assisted

•   Picture of Disability and Designated

housing using HUD tenant identifiers in

Housing—Analysis of need and

the AHS.

availability of accessible housing

for HUD-assisted households with

•   Exploratory Study of Project-Based Rental

disabilities using HUD program data

Assistance (PBRA)—A study exploring

and ACS data.

HUD administrative data to inform the

design of a future evaluation of PBRA

•   Accessibility of America’s Housing Stock:

Transfer Authority.

Analysis of the 2011 AHS—Analysis of

accessibility of U.S. housing stock by

Learn more about MDRT and access

housing market characteristics as well as

published reports on huduser.gov at https://

resident characteristics using core data

www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/

and special accessibility module of the

mdrt_reports.html

2011 AHS.

DATA LICENSES

PD&R inaugurated a data license

sustainable and inclusive communities, and

program in 2014 to provide HUD

HUD assets). Such licenses are appropriate

an innovative vehicle for low cost-high

when (1) important policy-relevant

return research investments. Given the

research questions can be answered only by

authority to enter into a Data License

using, among other resources, personally

Agreement with research organizations identifiable information in the possession

for the explicit purpose of conducting

of HUD; (2) the research organization

research projects that inform HUD’s

can offer adequate safeguards for the

policies and programs, PD&R approved

confidentiality of the data if HUD shares

32 licenses for FY 2015 and 2016. With

the data with that organization; (3) the

no out-of-pocket cost, these agreements

research organization does not need

leverage a large amount of research aligned

funding or other resources from HUD

with PD&R’s current research agenda (for

to carry out the research project; (4) the

example, homeownership and housing

research organization will destroy all

finance, affordable rental housing, housing

personally identifiable information received

as a platform for improving quality of life,

from HUD at the expiration of the license.

39   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

INHOUSE RESEARCH

PD&R also advanced its research

•  Tribal HUD-VASH.  FY 2015

agenda in FY 2015–2016 by beginning

appropriations allocated $4 million for a

long-term inhouse research projects prior

rental assistance and supportive housing

to receiving annual appropriations to

demonstration program for Native

launch the major evaluations. This strategy

American veterans who are homeless

enabled staff to gain valuable expertise and

or at risk of homelessness living on or

near a reservation or other Indian areas.

begin projects more quickly. Two examples

Although the appropriation did not

of projects undertaken include—

set aside funds for an evaluation of the

•  Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs)

demonstration, all participating Tribally

are a vehicle by which PHAs can fund

Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs)

utility-related improvements to the

have agreed to cooperate in an evaluation

capital stock of their projects, borrowing

consistent with HUD’s congressional

against future utility subsidies that will

mandate to ensure that supportive

not have to be paid if the improvements

services are effectively delivered to

are made. PD&R staff conducted a pilot

Native American veterans and to better

review of the effectiveness and value of

understand how rental assistance is being

the program at nine sites. The authors

utilized by grantees. PD&R is actively

found that a majority of the study’s

collaborating with HUD’s Office of

PHAs felt that their executed EPCs were

Native American Programs and the

beneficial, but that these findings might

VA to analyze program successes and

not have been completely representative

obstacles on the road toward ending

of PHAs that have executed an EPC

veteran homelessness in Indian country.

and that utility savings are difficult

As part of this inhouse research strategy,

to quantify using existing data

PD&R assisted in designing a modified

collection methods. The research team

form to specially track Tribal HUD-

recommended an advisory panel of PHAs

VASH administrative data. Future

that have successfully used the program

analysis may leverage opportunities to

to assist new applicants, thereby reducing

link these data to VA administrative

application review time, the modification

records to better understand the needs

of existing data collection efforts, and a

and trajectories of those served. Staff also

national evaluation of the program.

visited three TDHE participants in the

early stages of implementation to gain a

better understanding of local variation

in program approaches, with plans

to conduct additional site visits as the

program matures.

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

The Consolidated Appropriations

Through Research Partnerships, PD&R is

Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114–53,

better able to—

approved December 11, 2015) FY 2016

appropriation authorizes PD&R to enter

•  Direct funds to research that meets

Department needs and priorities.

into noncompetitive cooperative agreements

for research projects that are aligned with

•  Translate research findings into lessons

PD&R’s research priorities and that will help

for policy.

inform HUD’s policies and programs. These

•  Maximize HUD’s data by enabling

projects are cal ed “Research Partnerships.”

researchers to revisit them.

40   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

•  Source local findings with potential

single-family and multifamily housing

national applicability.

finance in a reformed housing finance

•  Share the cost of research.

system.

The two primary documents that

2.   Affordable quality rental housing.  HUD

provide a framework for HUD’s research

is interested in research that improves

priorities are HUD’s Strategic Plan, which

the efficiency and effectiveness of

specifies the Department’s mission and

HUD’s housing programs (for example,

strategic goals for program activities,

public housing, HCVs, assisted

and the  HUD Research Roadmap, which

multifamily programs, and Federal

is PD&R’s research agenda. PD&R

Housing Administration insurance),

developed and published this research

which include, but are not limited

agenda to focus research resources on

to (a) improving program operations

timely, policy-relevant research questions

and responses to changing market

that lie within the Department’s area of

conditions, (b) identifying rent subsidy

comparative advantage. This focus on

approaches that could more efficiently

comparative advantage has a corollary,

and beneficially meet the full range

which is the accompanying need for

of housing needs, and (c) better

PD&R to collaborate with other research

understanding how HUD’s programs

organizations to support their comparative

are affected by tenant and landlord

advantage in areas that are mutually

behavior

important. See page 6.

3.   Housing as a platform for improving

quality of life.  HUD is interested in

The authority that Congress provided

how HUD-provided housing assistance

HUD to enter into noncompetitive

can be best used to improve quality

cooperative agreements for research is a

of life, including, but not limited to

central tool for fulfilling the Roadmap’s

(a) improving educational outcomes

vision for research collaboration. Projects

and early learning and development;

inform important policy and program

(b) improving health outcomes; (c)

objectives of HUD that are not otherwise

increasing economic security and self-

being addressed and that focus on one of

sufficiency; and (d) improving housing

HUD’s research priorities, including—

stability for vulnerable populations,

1.   Strengthening housing markets:

including elderly people, people with

homeownership and housing finance.

disabilities, homeless families and

HUD is interested in research in

individuals, and those individuals and

many areas of homeownership and

families at risk of becoming homeless.

housing finance, which include,

4.   Resilient and inclusive communities.

but are not limited to (a) improving

HUD’s goal of advancing resilient and

outcomes for struggling homeowners

inclusive communities seeks innovative

and communities in the areas of

and transformational evidence-based

foreclosures, mortgage modification

approaches to deal with longstanding

protocols, and real-estate owned

and emerging community development

properties; (b) finding ways that are

challenges in suburban, rural, and tribal

safer for both borrowers and lenders

areas. HUD is interested in research

to extend mortgage credit to first-

questions such as, but not limited to

time homebuyers and homeowners

(a) leveraging cost-effective housing

with less-than-stellar credit; and (c)

technology in HUD-funded housing

updating federal support structures for

or other housing to accomplish key

41   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

HUD priority goals; (b) understanding

5.   HUD assets.  HUD has made, and

and addressing persistent segregation

continues to make, significant

along racial, ethnic, and economic

investments in research assets,

lines, including the role of promising

including program demonstrations

community development and

and data sets, that PD&R is interested

housing strategies for strengthening

in seeing leveraged in ways that may,

communities; (c) strengthening

or may not, be specifically referenced

community resilience in the face of

in the  Research Roadmap or HUD’s

climate change, disasters, pestilence,

Strategic Plan. Such studies demonstrate

and energy shocks; and (d) improving

a broader usefulness of HUD’s research

integrated and regional planning for

assets that further increases the return

cross-agency alignment, such as land

on these investments for the taxpayer.

use and transportation.

Research Partnerships: Completed and in-Progress Efforts

TITLE

PARTNER

STATUS

Aging in Place: Managing the Use of Reverse

Mortgages to Enable Housing Stability

The Ohio State University

In progress

Bringing Life Course Home: Improving

Health Through Housing Stability and

Boston Medical Center,

Support

Boston University

In progress

Brokering the Geography of Opportunity:

How Landlords Affect Access to Housing

Johns Hopkins University,

and Neighborhood Quality Among HUD

Harvard University

In progress

Assisted Renters

Chicago Regional Housing Choice Initiative

Evaluation

RAND Corporation

Completed April

2016

Coming Home: An Evaluation of NYCHA’s

Family Reentry Pilot

Vera Institute for Justice

In progress

Evaluation of Innovative Family Self-

Sufficiency (FSS) Programs Administered by

the Nonprofit Working Capital Compass in  Abt Associates

In progress

Partnership with the Massachusetts Public

Housing Authority

High Cost Lending in Rural America and

Middlebury College, U.S.

Completed

the Great Recession

Department of Agriculture

Economic Research Service  January 2014

HOPE VI: Data Compilation and Analysis

Case Western University

Completing

closeout

Housing Tenure, Disaster, Damage and

Displacement: An Analysis of the New

Orleans American Housing Survey 2004–

Brown University

In progress

2009

How Housing Affects Young Children

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg

School of Public Health

In progress

New York City Center for

Economic Opportunity

Jobs-Plus Cost Study

Social Innovation Fund

Completed

(CEO SIF), Mayor’s Fund to  November 2016

Advance New York City

42   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Research Partnerships: Completed and in-Progress Efforts (cont) TITLE

PARTNER

STATUS

Light-Gauge Cold-Formed Steel Framed

University of California San  Completing

Building Shake Table Test Program

Diego

closeout

Mining MTO: Housing Assistance Leavers

and Vulnerable Female Youth

Urban Institute

Completed

February 2014

Modeling Temporary, Interim, and

Permanent Housing Demand & Capacity for  Old Dominion University In progress

Medically Fragile and Vulnerable Population

Moving to Opportunity: Platform to

Improve Health

Johns Hopkins University

In progress

Relationship Between Receipt of Housing

Washington State

Assistance and Social Health

Department of Social and

In progress

Health Services

Rental Data: Improving Renter’s Security

Policy Economic Research

through Credit Reporting Payment Data

Council (PERC)

In progress

Rethinking FSS: A Plan for Building More

Evidence on What Works to Improve

Employment Outcomes and Economic

MRDC

Completed

Security for Recipients of Section 8 Housing

January 2015

Choice Vouchers— Resubmission

The Economic Boom in Eagle Shale: Impacts

on Accessible and Affordable Housing for the  University of Texas San Vulnerable Populations

Antonio

In progress

The High Cost of Cities, Gentrification and

Voucher Use: Exploring Access to Quality

New York University-

Homes and Neighborhoods

Furman Center

In progress

The Housing Opportunity and Services

Together (HOST II) Demonstration

Urban Institute

In progress

The Housing Opportunity and Services

Together (HOST) Demonstration

Urban Institute

Completed June

2014

The Impact of Children’s Housing on Their

Long-Term Economic Outcomes: Linking

Intergenerational Labor Market Outcomes,

University of Maryland,

Completing

Residential Mobility, and Neighborhood

Census Bureau, Harvard

closeout

Quality for Households Receiving Housing

University

Assistance

Understanding the Market for Reverse

Mortgages

Columbia University

In progress

Using Parcel and Household Data to

Evaluate the Low- Income Housing Tax

University of Florida

Credit and Housing Choice Voucher

Shimberg Center for

In progress

Programs: Transportation, Crime, Education  Housing Studies

and Tenant Choice

Voices of Youth

Chapin Hall at the

University of Chicago

In progress

43   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

4  How PD&R Shares

PD&R’S OUTREACH AND DISSEMINATION

PD&R continues to innovate the

Internally, one of the ways PD&R meets

way it disseminates research and

these goals is by operating the HUD

reach out to its stakeholders, using

library. The HUD library facilitates

cutting-edge communication vehicles

research and analysis for the entire

and technology. Over the past 2 years,

Department. It assists members of HUD

PD&R has continued to expand

staff in developing thorough, well-

outreach and dissemination efforts with

informed policies that improve the quality

an eye toward achieving four goals: (1)

of life for every American. The HUD

sharing information, research findings,

library provides access to electronic and

and best practices; (2) translating

print research materials to help employees

housing and urban development policy

further the mission of HUD.

and research to improve practice; (3)

increasing the availability of high-

Externally, PD&R meets its outreach

quality research on issues of housing

and dissemination goals through HUD

and community developments; and (4)

User, PD&R mobile and social media,

ensuring stakeholders have quick access to

convenings, periodicals (on line and in

information on a variety of platforms.

print), a competition, and several awards.

HUD User

At the core of PD&R’s dissemination

flow. The HUD User website is updated

work is huduser.gov, through which all

regularly with the latest publication and

of PD&R’s research and communication

data releases.

HUD User Usage FY 2015–2016

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

(ACTUAL)

(ACTUAL)

(ACTUAL)

(ESTIMATE)

Total number of downloads

14.5 million

16.9 million

17.8 million

18.4 million

Average downloads per

month

13 million

1.4 million

1.5 million

1.5 million

Number of visits per month

625,794

913,417

625,278

634,576

Orders processed

1,133

1,025

830

680

Publications disseminated

77,218

87,000

78,848

103,557

44   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Number of Downloads From HUD User by Fiscal Year (in millions)

PD&R MOBILE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

In addition to its mobile apps,  Fair Market

and LinkedIn. During PD&R events such

Rent and Income Limits and  The Edge,

as the Quarterly Updates, live conversation

PD&R has also expanded its social media

occurs via Twitter, and those viewing

presence over the past 2 years. PD&R has

the webcast are encouraged to submit

a growing presence on Facebook, Twitter,

questions using Twitter or e-mail.

HUD User Facebook Likes by Fiscal Year

45   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

HUD User Twitter Followers by Year

PD&R also coordinates with housing,

bloggers to leverage content from huduser.

planning, and community development

gov on external blogs.

CONVENINGS

Not only does PD&R regularly host a

•  PD&R Quarterly Updates.  PD&R

number of events, but PD&R is also

Quarterly Updates highlight economic

represented at partner events through

and housing market changes and include

staff participation and exhibiting. During

a focused panel discussion on current

FY 2015–2016, PD&R engaged in

issues in housing and community

the following conferences, events, and

development. The Quarterly Updates are

often held in conjunction with a recent

convenings.

issue of  Evidence Matters. The events

are attended by a range of HUD staff as

well as external stakeholders. To make

the events even more accessible, the

Quarterly Updates are webcast live, then

archived and made available for viewing

at a later date on huduser.gov.

•  Expert Convenings. The topics for

which HUD may seek expert input

include performance metrics, current

thinking, or past experiences that

can help improve policy and manage

programs more effectively and ways

HUD can increase its accountability and

ensure effective use of public resources.

HUD produces a written summary

of the results of these forums and the

practical advice they generate.

46   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PD&R Convenings

EVENT

DATE

LOCATION

PARTNERS

How Housing Matters

October 16,

The Building  The MacArthur Foundation

2014

Museum

and the Urban Institute

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Effects of Housing and

October 23,

HUD

Neighborhood on Children

2014

Headquarters

Expert Convening:

Assessment Tools for Allocating  November 5,

HUD

National Alliance to End

Homelessness Assistance: State

2014

Headquarters Homelessness

of the Evidence

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Community Recovery and

January 9,

HUD

Resilience

2015

Headquarters

Expert Convening:

March 19,

HUD

Rent Reform Demonstration

2015

Headquarters MDRC

PD&R Quarterly Update:

March 24,

HUD

Native American Housing

2015

Headquarters

Expert Convening:

The Housing Affordability

Habitat for Humanity

Opportunity: Lowering Costs

April 7, 2015

HUD

Headquarters International and Enterprise

and Expanding Supply

Community Partners

Expert Convening:

Housing Choice Voucher

Program Administrative Fee

April 17, 2015

HUD

Headquarters

Study Public Briefing

The Innovation in Affordable

Housing Student Design and

Planning Competition Awards

April 21, 2015

HUD

Headquarters

Presentation

Expert Convening:

An Integrated View of Federal

May 7, 2015

HUD

Housing Program Costs

Headquarters

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Investing in People and Places

June 25, 2015

HUD

for Upward Mobility

Headquarters

The Family Options Study:

18-Month Outcomes

July 8, 2015

HUD

Headquarters

Expert Convening:

The National ConnectHome

August 18–19,  HUD

White House and

Summit

2015

Headquarters EveryoneOn

Expert Convening:

Systems Evaluations for Place-

September 15,  HUD

Based Initiatives

2015

Headquarters

Expert Convening:

Community College Student

September 16,  HUD

Housing Insecurity

2015

Headquarters

HUD at 50:

September 17,  HUD

History in the Making

2016

Headquarters

47   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PD&R Convenings (cont)

EVENT

DATE

LOCATION

PARTNERS

Expert Convening: Senior

Housing and Services:

September 29,  HUD

Challenges and Opportunities

2015

Headquarters

in Rural America

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Planning and Partnering for

October 1,

HUD

Regional Impact

2015

Headquarters

PD&R Quarterly Update:

HUD at 50: History in the

January 12,

HUD

Making

2016

Headquarters

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Managing Community Change:  April 11, 2016

HUD

A Dialogue on Gentrification

Headquarters

The Innovation in Affordable

Housing Student Design and

Planning Competition Awards

April 19, 2016

HUD

Headquarters

Presentation

Research Partnerships Project:

Eagle Ford Shale: Impacts

on Accessible and Affordable

March 16,

HUD

University of Texas at San

Housing for Vulnerable

2016

Headquarters Antonio

Populations in Small Rural

Communities

Preserving a Deep, Liquid and

Stable Market for Mortgage

June 24, 2016

HUD

Servicing Assets

Headquarters Ginnie Mae

Small Area Fair Market Rents

Briefing

June 30, 2016

HUD

Headquarters

Habitat III:

After Quito: Implementation of  July 11, 2016

HUD

the New Urban Agenda

Headquarters

PD&R Quarterly Update:

Child Well-Being and Healthy

July 26, 2016

HUD

Homes

Headquarters

PERIODICALS

PD&R produces several periodicals as

part of its outreach to a broad audience.

All of these periodicals aim to provide

evidence around policy, although each uses

a different medium to target a different

constituency.

48   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The Edge.  The Edge, PD&R’s online

The Edge every 2 weeks. In FY 2016,  The

magazine, provides a message from PD&R

Edge averaged 81,600 views per month, a

leadership, and a wide range of information

71-percent increase since FY 2014. In

about housing and community

October 2016, PD&R released a

development issues, research, policy, and

substantial redesign of  The Edge intended

best practices in housing and community

to enhance the user experience further.

development. New content is published in

The Edge: Most Viewed Articles, FY 2015–2016

ARTICLE NAME

DATE POSTED

1.  Managing Community Change: A Dialogue on Gentrification

5/2/2016

2.  Environmentally Sustainable Neighborhood Revitalization in

6/20/2016

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

3.  Exploring Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

2/23/2015

4.  The SC2 National Resource Network: A Place-Based Federal

6/20/2016

Delivery System for Strong Cities

5.  From Habitat II to Habitat III, An Interview with Ismael

6/20/2016

Guerrero

6.  Rapid Re-Housing for Homeless Families Demonstration

4/18/2016

Program Evaluation Reports

7.  Safe and Supported Community Plan Assists Homeless LGBTQ

5/2/2016

Youth in Hamilton County, Ohio

8.  Instituting Smoke-Free Public Housing: Economic Impacts

6/6/2016

9.  Rent-to-Own Program Rehabilitates Abandoned and Foreclosed

10/20/14

Properties

10.  Exploring Racial Segregation and Income Inequality Patterns and 3/22/12

Relationships

Average  The Edge Page Views per Month by Fiscal Year

49   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Evidence Matters.   Evidence Matters

issues and its subscriber base has grown

is published quarterly and designed to

to more than 25,000.  Evidence Matters

highlight policy-relevant research that

is guided by an advisory committee

connects policymakers at all levels, as well

comprised of representatives from several

as researchers, advocates, and industry

HUD program offices. The following

members, with clear, accessible, and timely

issues of  Evidence Matters were published

information. Since it was first published

during the past two fiscal years.

in 2011,  Evidence Matters has released 17

Evidence Matters Issues FY 2015 and FY 2016

Winter 2015: Disaster Recovery and

Resilience

Lead: Federal Disaster Policy: Toward a

More Resilient Future

Research Spotlight: The Research Basis

for Disaster Resilience

In Practice: Preparing for the Next

Disaster: Three Models of Building

Resilient Communities

Fall 2014: Impacts of Housing on

Children

Lead: Housing’s and Neighborhoods’

Role in Shaping Children’s Future

Research Spotlight: How Housing

Mobility Affects Education Outcomes

for Low-Income Children

In Practice: Protecting Children

From Unhealthy Homes and Housing

Instability

Spring 2015: Housing in Indian

Country

Lead: Obstacles, Solutions, and Self-

Determination in Indian Housing Policy

Research Spotlight: Who Counts?

Identifying Native American

Populations

In Practice: Local Initiatives Promote

Homeownership in Indian Country

50   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Summer/Fall 2015: Regional Planning

Spring 2016: Housing Finance

Lead: Partnerships and Planning for

Lead: Pressing Challenges in Housing

Impact

Finance: Credit Access and Seniors’

Research Spotlight: Strategies for

Mortgage Debt

Regional Collaboration

Research Spotlight: The Evidence

In Practice: Moving Toward a

on Homeownership Education and

Sustainable Future: Three Models of

Counseling

Regional Planning

In Practice: Increasing Access to

Sustainable Mortgages for Low-Income

Borrowers

Winter 2016: Housing and Health

Lead: Leveraging the Health-Housing

Summer 2016: Housing and Crime

Nexus

Research Spotlight: Smoke-Free Public

Lead: Housing, Inclusion, and Public

Housing: Research and Implementation

Safety

In Practice: Financing Effective Housing

Research Spotlight: Neighborhoods

Interventions With Pay for Success

and Violent Crime

In Practice: Reducing Offender

Recidivism and Reconnecting

Opportunity Youth

51   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Cityscape.   Cityscape is a

•  How well the HCV Program reaches

multidisciplinary scholarly journal

high-opportunity neighborhoods.

that PD&R publishes three times a

•  The relative effectiveness of for-profit

year to advance the state of knowledge,

and nonprofit developers of low-income

policy, and practice in the areas of

housing in meeting the multiple goals of

HUD’s mission. Each issue includes

such developments.

a Symposium of scholarly papers on a

Departments are short papers to help

common theme. In FY 2015 and 2016,

scholars or new students explore the areas

Cityscape symposia covered (1) how

of HUD’s mission. In FY 2015 and 2016,

spatial analytic methods can assist in

these papers included (1) Impact, which

understanding urban problems; (2) how

details and explains the benefit and cost

communities can make themselves more

calculations for new HUD regulations;

affordable, accessible, and efficient; (3)

(2) Policy Briefs; (3) Graphic Detail,

the latest results on the prevalence of

which illustrates the power of maps to

discrimination in the housing market;

inform public policy and social science;

(4) how cities can most equitably

(4) Foreign Exchange, which describes

regulate street vending; (5) how credit

policy innovations in housing and urban

markets may fail to serve vulnerable

development in other countries that may

populations; and (6) gentrification in

be of interest to U.S. readers; (5) Industrial

America.

Revolution, which illustrates the potential

The Point of Contention is a high-level

of technological innovation in residential

debate on areas in which scholars do not

construction to affect society; (6) Spatial

agree. In FY 2015 and 2016, the areas

Analysis and Methods (SpAM), which

of disagreement were (1) the future of

takes the reader step-by-step through

homeownership in the United States,

pioneer techniques in the analysis of

and (2) whether driverless cars will

geographic information; (7) Evaluation

reshape land use in the metropolis.

Tradecraft, which reports on the improving

technical basis for program evaluation; and

The refereed papers in FY 2015 and

(8) Data Shop, which introduces the reader

2016 explored such issues as—

to new data sets and new procedures for

•  Rebuilding decisions after hurricanes.

using the data in familiar sources.

•  Zoning changes needed to accommodate

micro-apartments.

•  Investor approaches to purchasing

foreclosed properties in a high-rent area.

•  The cost-effectiveness of housing

homeless seniors.

•  Outcomes of the Neighborhood

Stabilization Program.

•  Positive and negative outcomes of

families who have left assisted housing.

•  Whether the government-sponsored

enterprises meet the credit needs of

underserved communities.

•  HUD’s success in engaging nonprofit

organizations in delivering services to the

homeless.

52   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Cityscape Board

Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, Brandeis

Matthew E. Kahn, University of

University

California, Los Angeles

Ira Goldstein, The Reinvestment Fund

Jens Ludwig, University of Chicago

Richard K. Green, University of

Mary Pattillo, Northwestern University

Southern California

Carolina Reid, University of California,

Mark Joseph, Case Western Reserve

Berkeley

University

Patrick Sharkey, New York University

C. Theodore Koebel, Virginia Tech

Cityscape Guest Editors

Nov 14: Paul Joice and Meena Bavan

Mar 16: Raphael Bostic (USC), Annette Kim

Mar 15: Ron Wilson

(USC), Abel Valenzuela (UCLA)

July 15: Regina Gray

Jul 16: Padma Raman and Pamela Lee

Nov 15: Margery Turner (Urban Institute)

Nov 16: Ingrid Gould Ellen (NYU), Lei

and Judson James

Ding (Philadelphia Fed)

Insights.  The  Insights series was

•  Community Housing Impacts of

reintroduced in 2015 to allow PD&R staff

the Military Housing Privatization

to examine special issues and policies of

Initiative  (October 2015). This issue of concern to HUD. They are available on

Insights explores evidence and context

huduser.gov. The list of  Insights published for decisionmakers considering issues

in FY 2015–2016 follows; PD&R expects

related to privatized housing on military

posts and the effects on surrounding

to publish additional  Insights in the future.

communities.

•  Barriers to Success: Housing

Insecurity for U.S. College Students

( February 2015). This issue of  Insights

explores problems related to housing

for postsecondary students. Many

college students struggle to find

adequate, affordable housing options

near their campus. Colleges appear to

systematically underestimate students’

off-campus living costs, and it is

estimated that at least 58,000 college

students are homeless.

•  Ensuring Equitable Neighborhood

•  Breaking Down Barriers: Housing,

Change: Gentrification Pressures on

Neighborhoods, and Schools of

Housing Affordability. This report

Opportunity  (April 2016).  This report reviews recent research and identifies key

reviews recent research and identifies

steps policymakers can take to ensure

key steps policymakers can take to

that development in high-demand

improve children’s access to high-quality

and gentrifying areas is inclusive and

neighborhoods  and schools. In particular,

equitable. In particular, this report

this report suggests housing strategies

suggests strategies that can help maintain

that could help the nearly 4 million

affordable housing and foster integrated

children who already receive federal

communities.

housing assistance.

53   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

PD&R’S PARTNER ENGAGEMENT

HUD’S 50TH

In celebration of HUD’s 50 anniversary,

•  Ingrid Gould Ellen and Jessica Yager of

PD&R published a commemorative book

New York University’s Furman Center

HUD at 50: Creating Pathways to

examine how HUD’s treatment of race

Opportunity, including expert articles on

and poverty have reflected broader shifts

HUD’s history, impact on housing finance

in American attitudes, with a focus on

and community development issues, and

rental housing programs and fair housing

law.

future challenges. The publication looks

back on HUD’s history and looks forward

•  Raphael Bostic of the University of

to ways the agency might evolve. It

Southern California’s Sol Price School of

includes thorough analyses of not only how

Public Policy takes a long view of urban

programs succeeded, but also how they

development over the nation’s history,

looking especially at the rise, fall, and

sometimes fell short and what was done in

rebirth of cities.

response. The first chapter, authored by Jill

Khadduri of Abt Associates, lays out the

•  Susan Wachter of the Wharton School

Department’s history in detail through the

at the University of Pennsylvania and

Arthur Acolin, a Ph.D. student at the

priorities and legacy of each

University of Southern California’s Sol

Administration. The remaining five

Price School of Public Policy, chronicle

chapters address themes that are central to

the evolution of the federal role in

HUD’s mission and describe how HUD

homeownership and mortgage finance,

has altered its policies to meet the changing

from HUD’s inception through the

needs of the American people.

system’s reforms following the Great

Recession.

•  Marge Turner, Mary Cunningham, and

Susan Popkin of the Urban Institute

consider HUD’s critical work serving

vulnerable populations—especially its

ongoing work to end homelessness—

and the need to expand access for

poor families to opportunity-rich

neighborhoods.

•  Finally, Erika Poethig, Rolf Pendall, and

Pam Blumenthal—also from the Urban

Institute—analyze the interactions

between demographic shifts and housing

policy, including the changing needs

posed by domestic migration and the

aging population.

In addition, on huduser.gov:

•  50 years of HUD is explored through

photos that document the evolution of

the Department’s efforts to improve

people and places

•  Related publications take a historical

perspective on a range of topics—

54   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

manufactured housing, international

the evolution of HUD’s public-private

history, key contributors to HUD’s

partnerships.

energy efforts, a history of PD&R, and

•  HUD’s historical timeline is available.

AWARDS

PD&R continues its longstanding

following section. Detailed descriptions

commitment to identifying and sharing

on all award winners can be found on

innovative best practices. An important

huduser.gov/awards, and case studies

vehicle for identifying these efforts is the

provide detailed information on many of

awards program. PD&R manages the

the winners found at https://www.huduser.

well-regarded HUD Secretary’s awards and

gov/portal/casestudies/home.html.

the student competition described in the

THE INNOVATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUDENT DESIGN AND

PLANNING COMPETITION

Since 2014, HUD PD&R has invited

incorporate new construction, they must

interdisciplinary teams of three to five

consider elements of design, community

graduate students from accredited

development, and financing in order to

educational institutions across the United

provide an all-encompassing plan and

States to participate in its annual

solution that would allow the housing

Innovation in Affordable Housing Student

authority to meet its goal of offering the

Design and Planning Competition (IAH).

area’s families safe and sustainable

The competition aims to address the need

affordable housing. Students also need to

for quality, affordable housing, which can

demonstrate their understanding of the

help strengthen the social and physical

needs of the intended residents,the zoning

fabric of communities. Each year, teams

restrictions, and leveraging opportunities.

work to solve problems and craft solutions

$20,000 and $10,000 are awarded to the

in response to a project encountered by a

winning and runner-up teams, respectively,

PHA. Whether teams decide to rehabilitate

to help with the costs of executing their

existing buildings or demolish and

exceptional affordable housing plans.

55   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

After a jury of five academics, practitioners,

•  2015.  Louisiana’s Houma Terrebonne

planners, and architects narrows down the

Housing Authority (HTHA) partnered

submissions to four finalist teams, those

with IAH for the second annual

teams are invited to walk the grounds of

competition from October to March

the project sites and hear from members

of 2015. HUD and HTHA challenged

of the community. The competition

multidisciplinary teams of graduate

culminates with a final presentation at

students to consider the complex

challenges associated with offering safe

HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C.,

and sustainable affordable housing

where the jury hears each finalist team’s

to the area’s seniors. PD&R Assistant

presentation, asks questions, and then

Secretary O’Regan announced the

deliberates on that year’s winner. Detailed

results in March 2015 after final jury

descriptions on all previous award winners

deliberations. The first place award went

can be found at huduser.gov/awards.

to the team from New York University

(NYU). The competition jurors praised

•  2016.  The Housing Authority of the

the NYU team members for their

City of Santa Barbara, California

sophisticated design that minimized the

(HASB), partnered with IAH in 2016.

bulk of the building, thereby responding

HASB challenged multidisciplinary

to the local architectural context. The

teams of graduate students to consider

team also received very high marks for

the complex challenges associated with

its innovative financing scheme that

rehabilitating one of the authority’s

included a mixed-use redevelopment to

housing structures, called Monteria,

incorporate retail for income purposes,

or demolishing it and creating

creating positive communitywide impact.

new construction. Following final

The new construction development also

presentations at HUD Headquarters and

included an Early Childcare Center and a

the jury’s deliberation, HUD Deputy

variety of onsite services and activities to

Assistant Secretary Nani Coloretti

address the needs of the community. The

announced the results. The University of

University of California, Los Angeles was

Texas, Austin team received the $20,000

the runner-up team. Its solution was gut

award for their proposal. This redesign

rehabilitation of the building with an

of Monteria resulted in 39 additional

emphasis on energy efficiency and strong

units for a total of 67 renovated homes,

healthcare partnerships. The jurors

which led to increased density and

felt that the team demonstrated a deep

provided housing opportunities for very

understanding of the senior population

low-income families. It accommodates

and its needs. They also liked the team’s

a centralized Family Opportunity

approach to material reuse as well as the

Center, includes an Education Center,

proposed new modular façade, which

and improves the water infiltration and

utilized innovative materials and design

capture on site. The runner-up was a

concepts.

team from the University of Maryland,

which received $10,000 toward its

PD&R launched its fourth year of the IAH

affordable housing plan. This team

in the fall of 2016.

proposed new construction that included

48 affordable housing units within 19

three-story townhouses, 14 two-story

townhouses, and a four-story multifamily

development that includes a food co-op, a

community center, and easy access to the

nearby community garden.

56   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

SECRETARY’S AWARDS

The HUD Secretary’s Awards, managed

•  The Annie E. Casey Foundation

by PD&R, honor projects that exemplify

(Baltimore, Maryland): Opportunity

excellence in four categories: community

Collaborative

planning, historic preservation, affordable

•  Ann Arbor Area Community

housing design, and cooperative public/

Foundation (Ann Arbor, Michigan):

private efforts. HUD presents the

Washtenaw Coordinated Funders

awards annually in partnership with

•  Communities Foundation of Texas

several leading housing and community

(State of Texas): Educate Texas

development organizations.

•  Community Foundation of the New

The Secretary’s Award for Excellence

River Valley (Southwestern Virginia):

Aging in Place Leadership Team

in Historic Preservation.  HUD presents

the Secretary’s Award for Excellence

•  Seattle Foundation (King County,

in Historic Preservation in partnership

Washington): Communities of

with the National Trust for Historic

Opportunity

Preservation to recognize efforts that both

•  Greater Kanawha Foundation

advance the nation’s historic preservation

(Charleston, West Virginia): Investing

goals and provide affordable housing and

in Our Communities: West Side of

economic development opportunities for

Charleston

low- and moderate-income residents.

•  Toledo Community Foundation

(Toledo, Ohio): Overland Initiative—

•  2015 Winner: 3010 Apartments, St.

Partners for Places

Louis, Missouri

•  Incourage Community Foundation

The Secretary’s Award for Community

(Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin):

Foundations.  The Secretary’s Award

Blueprints for Tomorrow

for Community Foundations recognizes

excellence in public-philanthropic

partnerships that have both transformed

the relationship between the sectors and

led to measurable benefits in terms of

increased economic employment, health,

safety, education, sustainability, inclusivity

and cultural opportunities, and/or housing

access for low- and moderate-income

families. These partnerships serve as

worthy models for other communities.

HUD presents the award in partnership

with the Council on Foundations’ Public-

Philanthropic Partnership Initiative.

•  2016 Winners:

•  Montgomery County Foundation

(Montgomery County, Pennsylvania):

Your Way Home

•  The Boston Foundation (Boston,

Massachusetts): Success Boston

57   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The Secretary’s Opportunity and

architecture that demonstrates overall

Empowerment Award.  HUD has

excellence in terms of design in response

issued the Secretary’s Opportunity and

to both the needs and the constraints of

Empowerment Award since 1998 in

affordable housing.

partnership with the American Planning

Association. This award recognizes

•  2015 Winner: Step Up on 5th, Santa

Monica, California

excellence in planning that has led to

measurable benefits in terms of increased

•  2016 Winner: Lakeside Senior

economic employment, education, or

Apartments, Oakland, California

housing choice or mobility for low- and

Creating Community Connections

moderate-income residents. The award

Award.  This award recognizes projects

stresses tangible results and recognizes

that incorporate housing within other

the planning discipline as an important

community amenities for the purpose of

community resource. It emphasizes how

either revitalization or planned growth.

creative housing, economic development,

and private investments are used in, or in

•  2015 Winner: Co-op Plaza

Redevelopment, Brattleboro, Vermont

tandem with, a comprehensive community

development plan.

•  2016 Winner: Dorchester Art + Housing

Collective, Chicago, Illinois

•  2015 Winner: Mueller Redevelopment,

Community-Informed Design Award.

Austin, Texas

This award recognizes design that supports

•  2016 Winner: Homeless Solutions

physical communities as they rebuild

Community 10-Year Plan, City of

social structures and relationships that may

Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio

have weakened because of out-migration,

The Secretary’s Housing and

disinvestment, and the isolation of inner-

Community Design Awards.  The

city areas.

American Institute of Architects, in

conjunction with the Office of the

•  2016 Winner: Disaster Recovery Round

Secretary of HUD, recognizes excellence

2, Houston, Texas

in affordable housing architecture,

Alan J. Rothman Award for Housing

neighborhood design, participatory design,

Accessibility.  The purpose of this award

and accessibility. These awards, offered

is to recognize exemplary projects that

across several categories, demonstrate

demonstrate excellence in improving

the key role that design plays in building

housing accessibility for people with

thriving homes and communities in

disabilities. This award is named for Alan

addition to providing examples of

Rothman, a longtime former PD&R

important benchmarks in the housing

employee and recognized leader in

industry.

accessibility design and architecture.

Excellence in Affordable Housing

•  2016 Winner: Port Townsend

Design Award.  This award recognizes

Residence, Port Townsend, Washington

58   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

INTERNATIONAL AND PHILANTHROPIC INNOVATION

PD&R works to position HUD as a hub

outcomes and reduce back-end spending

for innovation by building partnerships,

on crisis care services, corrections systems,

sourcing innovations, and aligning and

and homeless shelters. The PFS model

leveraging resources from across the globe

is essential in incentivizing preventative

and across sectors, all toward HUD’s

measures targeted at a high-cost, high-

mission to create strong, sustainable,

need population and a model where an

inclusive communities and quality

opportunity exists to be adapted by other

affordable homes for all. Highlights from

HUD program offices.

the FY 2015–2016 period include—

On June 24, 2016, HUD announced that

Pay for Success Demonstration.  Pay for

HUD and DOJ awarded $8.7 million

Success (PFS) bridges the gap between

to seven organizations from across the

fewer federal resources and increasing

country to advance the PFS model by

needs and demands—now and in the

expanding permanent supportive housing

future. A PFS contract allows government

for persons cycling between the criminal

to pay for services when predetermined

justice and homeless service systems. IPI is

performance measures are reached,

continuing to find ways to develop the PFS

primarily in providing more cost-effective

mechanism across HUD programs.

services to a vulnerable population. A

PFS partnership leverages private capital;

Disaster Resilience and Responding to

taps into new funding opportunities;

Climate Change.  The Rebuild by Design

shifts outlay risk to philanthropic and

competition, a multistage planning and

private investors; monetizes social impact/

design competition to promote resilience

outcomes of social services; and realizes

in the Sandy-affected region, developed

costs savings for government, ultimately

The Rockefeller Foundation as the leading

connecting performance outcomes to

funding partner and the Deutsche Bank

financial return. IPI and several other

Americas Foundation, Hearst Foundation,

HUD program offices continue to be

the JPB Foundation, the Surdna

engaged in a PFS demonstration to test

Foundation, and the New Jersey Recovery

the effectiveness and financial feasibility

Fund contributed expertise and resources.

of the permanent supportive housing

The Rebuild by Design competition set

model. The demonstration targets the

new standards for robust community

reentry population who frequently cycle

engagement, active collaboration with

in and out of the shelter and corrections

state and local government partners, and

systems. HUD, along with the Bureau of

indepth research.

Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of

To help build the permanent capacity of 67

Justice (DOJ), announced the availability

jurisdictions eligible for HUD’s National

of approximately $5 million to structure

Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC),

a PFS demonstration funded out of the

HUD expanded its partnership with the

Second Chance Act in the FY 2014

Rockefeller Foundation and launched a

budget. The demonstration measures the

National Capacity Building Initiative in

potential savings accrued when permanent

summer 2014. Rockefeller teamed with

supportive housing is applied to a specific,

350 public- and private-sector experts to

measurable target population through

host nine Resilience Academies around

PFS financing. By pairing stable housing

the country. The Resilience Academies

with social services, permanent supportive

were designed to help NDRC entrants

housing will deliver better participant

strengthen their proposals and ensure that

59   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

their projects would be successful even if

Development. PD&R used a broad

they did not win the competition. These

and inclusive approach, leveraging the

academies offered participants information

international Habitat processes within the

and technical resources that HUD could

United States with the goal of fostering

not otherwise provide.

dialogue around policy and practice

domestically. Secretary Castro led the U.S.

Other Philanthropic Engagement.

delegation to Habitat III, held in

PD&R entered into a number of MOUs

Quito, Ecuador.

with philanthropy and philanthropy-led

organizations in partnership with HUD

Over the course of 2 years, PD&R

program offices to further HUD goals.

convened partners—within HUD,

During this 2-year period, MOUs with

across federal agencies, and with outside

philanthropic organizations include—

organizations—and acted as a platform for

the United States to engage in the global

•  An MOU with the Bill & Melinda

preparations, including providing feedback

Gates Foundation’s Pacific Northwest

Initiative and the MacArthur Foundation

to UN Habitat’s Issue Papers and Policy

in 2015 in a “National Partnership

Unit Frameworks, soliciting and providing

on Housing and Education” to learn

nominations for U.S. participation as

from partnerships between PHAs and

Technical Experts on Policy Units, and

education systems.

lifting up the variety of voices in the U.S.

•  An MOU with the AARP Foundation

context to the global dialogues.

regarding cooperation on research and

The U.S. Habitat III National Committee,

initiatives addressing an aging society.

consisting of over 40 organizations—

•  An MOU with the Campaign for Grade-

federal agencies, civil society, academia,

Level Reading, to support partnerships

and philanthropy—was convened to help

between PHAs and local communities

lead the broad and inclusive domestic

participating in grade-level reading

process. Three subcommittees were

efforts.

formed to focus on the domestic Habitat

•  An MOU with KaBOOM! and

preparatory processes.

philanthropic partners to launch the

Play Along the Way program, promoting

1.  The National Report Subcommittee

development of innovative designs

contributes to and provides feedback

integrating play features in urban

on the U.S. 20/20 Habitat III Report

infrastructure.

prepared by HUD and other federal

PD&R’s international engagement.

partners.

PD&R cultivates relationships with

2.  The Education and Outreach

partners across geographical boundaries

Subcommittee engages communities

and sectors hosting learning exchanges,

to advance the public understanding of

networking across agencies, and building

urban development issues and trends in

thoughtful and productive partnerships

the United States.

with lasting and wide-ranging effect.

3.  The Connecting the U.S. to Global

Habitat III.  PD&R, on behalf of

Conversations Subcommittee engages

HUD and in partnership with the

all levels of U.S. government in

U.S. Department of State, led the U.S.

a discussion of sustainable urban

preparatory process in advance of Habitat

development, connects this dialogue

III, the third United Nations (UN)

to Habitat III and other relevant

Conference on Housing and Sustainable

global conversations, and highlights

international best practices.

60   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

The U.S. domestic preparations focused

Citiscope, and the Wilson Center on July

on three themes: Investing in People

11, 2016.

and Communities for Upward Mobility,

•  Learning from the City: The Midwest

Securing Housing Options for All, and

Regional Convening on Habitat III, in

Responding to Change and Building

Chicago, Illinois, on March 31, 2016.

Resilience.

•  The City We Want & Need: A Mid-

In partnership with HUD’s regional and

Atlantic Regional Convening on Habitat

III, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on

field offices and outside partners, IPI

May 17, 2016.

helped host a series of convenings across

the country as part of the preparations for

•  Rocky Mountain West Convening on

Habitat III.

Habitat III, in Denver, Colorado, on May

20, 2016.

•  Habitat III & Why Urbanization is

•  Miami Convening on Habitat III

Critical to U.S. Foreign Policy, co-hosted

engaged high school students in larger

by the State Department on February 22,

dialogues on resilience, housing options,

2016.

and investing in people and places, in

•  Resilient and Sustainable Cities: From

Miami, Florida, on June 13, 2016.

COP21 to Habitat III, organized by

•  Southwest Border Colonias: Housing

Next City and Georgetown University on

and Sustainable Development In The

March 1, 2016.

21st Century, in El Paso, Texas, on June

•  Localizing the SDGs: How Cities Can

22–23, 2016.

Help Achieve the 2030 Agenda, co-

As part of the global leadup to Habitat III,

hosted by USAID, the Urban Institute,

in May 2016, IPI helped coordinate

and the Wilson Center on April 25, 2016.

Secretary Castro’s address to the United

•  Cities in an Age of Insecurity, held by

Nations in New York City, where he shared

the Atlantic Council to discuss how the

his thoughts on how cities can thrive in the

world’s cities can be made more resilient

21st century. In addition, IPI helped

to violence and insecurity on June 22,

prepared the U.S. delegation for Habitat

2016.

III, led by Secretary Castro.

•  After Quito: Implementation of the

New Urban Agenda, co-hosted by the

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, HUD,

61   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

Looking Ahead

PD&R leverages independent research,  administrative data. Specifically, the key evaluation, and data collection and

data include HUD’s tenant databases

analysis to help drive impact through an

(already maintained within CARRA),

evidence-based agenda. This Biennial

Moving to Opportunity data (currently

Report underscores the value of making

moving to CARRA), and the  Family

investments in research and evaluation

Options Study data (to be moved in

FY 2017). Our IAA and data sharing

and their potential to inform better policy

with the Census Bureau will greatly

and practice. The outcomes of this work

increase external researchers’ access

are a result of a focus on strengthening

to HUD administrative and research

PD&R, particularly on our capacity and

data, within a secured infrastructure.

infrastructure, that has enabled us to

•  The second is that HUD and the Census

adapt and build on the foundation of our

Bureau have also signed a Joint Statistical

expertise—data, research, and policy.

Project Agreement that will commit us

Looking ahead means learning from the

to partner on linking housing data to

past and continually adapting based on

nonhousing data sources already acquired

by the Census Bureau, to be available

lessons learned from within PD&R, as

for internal researchers at each agency.

well as from program offices we support.

By enabling HUD staff working on

Learning from practice means PD&R’s

these projects to access the data linked

work will continue to influence policy

via CARRA remotely, we are enabling

and programs and to strengthen HUD’s

much faster policy/evaluation work

budgets, legislative proposals, and

and providing new opportunities for

regulations.

PD&R staff.

Looking ahead also means getting the

In all, the Biennial Report showcases a

most out of our research—documenting

collection of impactful work, led by its

outcomes and impact, disseminating the

greatest asset, its staff. They have the

results, and taking advantage of emerging

passion, expertise, and commitment to

opportunities for additional cross-agency

drive PD&R’s data, research, and policy

work. Data matching in particular is a key

work, and, as I conclude my first year

piece of our data infrastructure moving

as PD&R’s General Deputy Assistant

forward, and a place where we are making

Secretary, this report makes clear that

forward-looking investments today. As

PD&R’s people are the foundation to

one example, HUD has entered into two

PD&R’s robust pipeline of work that will

agreements with the U.S. Census Bureau

shape the larger fields of housing and

to greatly broaden access to HUD data

community development for years to come.

and matching with non-HUD data for

approved internal and external researchers.

Matthew Ammon

•  The first is an Inter-Agency Agreement

General Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of

(IAA) with the Center for Administrative

Policy Development & Research

Records Research and Applications

(CARRA) to link data from HUD’s

tenant databases and select randomized

control trials with the Census Bureau’s

survey data collection and other

62   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

63   PD&R Biennial Report    FY 2015–2016

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research

Washington, DC 20410-6000

January 2017

Document Outline

- Contents

- Message From the Secretary

- Message From the Assistant Secretary

- 1 Who Is PD&R?

- Introduction

- Overview, Mission, and Core Function

- PD&R’s People and Organization

- 2 What PD&R Does

- How PD&R Sets Its Research Agenda

- Core Functions in Action

- 3 How Work Is Funded

- Multidisciplinary Research Team

- Data Licenses

- Inhouse Research

- Research Partnerships

- 4 How PD&R Shares

- PD&R’s Outreach and Dissemination

- PD&R’s Partner Engagement

- Looking Ahead

Table of Contents

Contents

Message From the Secretary

Message From the Assistant Secretary

1 Who Is PD&R?

Introduction

Overview, Mission, and Core Function

PD&R’s People and Organization

2 What PD&R Does

How PD&R Sets Its Research Agenda

Core Functions in Action

3 How Work Is Funded

Multidisciplinary Research Team

Data Licenses

Inhouse Research

Research Partnerships

4 How PD&R Shares

PD&R’s Outreach and Dissemination

PD&R’s Partner Engagement

Looking Ahead