AHS Digest

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From: david_a._vandenbroucke@hud.gov on 4/22/2003 11:03:06 AM
Subject: AHS: Correction to format package



One of the extras on the HUD USER web site https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs.html is a package that will add value labels to the character variables in the SAS version of the 2001 dataset. I've just discovered an error in one of the format assignments.

The package assigns the format $BUYX. to variable BUYI (does the household have homeowner's insurance?). This variable should have the format $YESORNO.

Commentary: There are a bunch of variables of the form BUYx, where "x" is a letter, such as BUYE, BUYG, etc. Most of these variables deal with whether a renter household pays for a particular utility or has it included in rent. For example, BUYE is for electricity, and BUYG is for gas. Since the answers are all coded the same, the format $BUYX is used for all of them. However, BUYI is an entirely different matter, despite its similar name. It is simply a yes/no variable, indicating whether or not a household has homeowner's insurance (which really means homeowner's or renter's insurance, depending on the tenure). Thus, it should have the standard $YESORNO format. I apologize for making the mistake.

Here is some SAS code for fixing the mistake. You will need to fill in the parts in lower case to match your computer setup:

OPTIONS FMTSEARCH=(yourformatlibname);

* to modify the NEWHOUSE dataset;
PROC DATASETS DDNAME=your2001libname;
MODIFY NEWHOUSE;
FORMAT BUYI $YESORNO.;
RUN;
QUIT;

* to modify the flattened file;
PROC DATASETS DDNAME=yourflatfilelibname;
MODIFY yourflatfiledatasetname;
FORMAT BUYI $YESORNO.;
RUN;
QUIT;

The package on the web site will not be updated at this time. We will fix this error the next time we revise the package, which will probably be after the 2002 public use file is released.

Dav Vandenbroucke
Economist
U.S. Dept. HUD
david_a._vandenbroucke@hud.gov
202-708-1060 ext. 5890



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From: Rachel Drew <rdrew@gsd.harvard.edu> on 4/23/2003 2:18:13 PM
Subject: Vouchers and other subsidies

Has anyone else noticed that all AHS respondents who report receiving a rent voucher (VCHER=1) also report another subsidy qualifier (PROJ=1, SUBRNT=1 or REPHA=1 or 2)?  Is this intentional (i.e. the question gets asked only when a positive response is given to one of the other subsidy questions), or is it just coincidence that those with vouchers all report some additional type of subsidy?  Any insight would be helpful, thanks.

Rachel Drew
Research Assistant
Joint Center for Housing Studies
617.495.9296
rdrew@gsd.harvard.edu


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From: david_a._vandenbroucke@hud.gov on 4/25/2003 10:02:40 AM
Subject: Re: Vouchers and other subsidies



1. You will find that if VCHER=1, then PROJ will never equal 1.

2. There is nothing in the instrument that forces the relationship among VCHER, SUBRNT, and REPHA. However, I wouldn't characterize your findings as "some additional type of subsidy." Because respondents have difficulty identifying assisted housing, the questions we as have a fair amount of overlap. Thus, if a household receives a voucher (VCHER), another way of looking at that is to say they receive a subsidy (SUBRNT). In order to participate in the program, they probably have to report their income (REPHA). We ask the three questions to give the respondents different opportunities to reveal that they are assisted. "Yes" answers to those three questions may well reflect only a single source of assistance.

--Dav
david_a._vandenbroucke@hud.gov

Inactive hide details for AHSlistserv@huduser.govAHSlistserv@huduser.gov
AHSlistserv@huduser.gov

04/23/03 02:19 PM
Please respond to rdrew



From: American Housing Survey (AHS) ListServ <ahs@huduser.gov>

Has anyone else noticed that all AHS respondents who report receiving a
rent voucher (VCHER=1) also report another subsidy qualifier (PROJ=1,
SUBRNT=1 or REPHA=1 or 2)?  Is this intentional (i.e. the question gets
asked only when a positive response is given to one of the other subsidy
questions), or is it just coincidence that those with vouchers all report
some additional type of subsidy?  Any insight would be helpful, thanks.

Rachel Drew
Research Assistant
Joint Center for Housing Studies
617.495.9296
rdrew@gsd.harvard.edu




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From: "Kochera, Andrew" <AKochera@aarp.org> on 4/25/2003 11:27:56 AM
Subject: RE: Vouchers and other subsidies


As I read the Qcode, the questionnaire first asks whether the resident pays a lower rent because the government is paying part of the cost (SUBRNT1).  Subsequent questions provide detail.  In this particular path, a voucher respondent would travel SUBRNT1=>PROJ1=>APPLY=>VCHER.  But at any rate, there must first be a positive response to SUBRNT1 (a negative response jumps you past VCHER etc. to the rent control queries).

It would be interesting to see how the survey estimate of vouchers compares to administrative records.  As mentioned elsewhere, there are frequently problems in how subsidies are reported.

Andy

===========================
Andrew S. Kochera
Senior Policy Advisor
Public Policy Institute, AARP

Ph: 202-434-3866
Fx: 202-434-6402
akochera@aarp.org


-----Original Message-----
From: AHSlistserv@huduser.gov [mailto:AHSlistserv@huduser.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 2:20 PM
To: Kochera, Andrew
Subject: Vouchers and other subsidies


From: American Housing Survey (AHS) ListServ <ahs@huduser.gov>

Has anyone else noticed that all AHS respondents who report receiving a rent voucher (VCHER=1) also report another subsidy qualifier (PROJ=1, SUBRNT=1 or REPHA=1 or 2)?  Is this intentional (i.e. the question gets asked only when a positive response is given to one of the other subsidy questions), or is it just coincidence that those with vouchers all report some additional type of subsidy?  Any insight would be helpful, thanks.

Rachel Drew
Research Assistant
Joint Center for Housing Studies
617.495.9296
rdrew@gsd.harvard.edu

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From: Addie Bradshaw <albusc@yahoo.com> on 4/25/2003 11:49:42 AM
Subject: refi data


Thanks so much to everyone who pointed me in the direction of refinancing data. Your help was greatly appreciated!
 
Addie

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From: "Andrea Devore" <Devorea@hillsboroughcounty.org> on 4/25/2003 12:10:07 PM
Subject:



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From: "Andrea Devore" <Devorea@hillsboroughcounty.org> on 4/25/2003 12:11:01 PM
Subject:



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From: Martha Lane <marthalane@sbcglobal.net> on 4/25/2003 8:25:19 PM
Subject: RE:vouchers and other subsidies


I would like more information about vouchers and other subsidies. I live on an fixed income, and I have a hard time paying my rent, and I would like some help.


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