A Picture of Subsidized Households Detailed Explanation of the Variables

1. U.S. totals
   
2. Total of all housing agencies of a particular size. Actual size is shown in name and at end of record. Only covers programs run by housing agencies*. Agency is classified based on total units in all programs.
   
3. State total, also used for DC and outlying areas
   
4. Housing agency total*
   
5. Summary record for part of an agency: for a few agencies that administer several codes.*

   Examples include: Maryland state housing agency administers MD 901 and MD 902. Navajo Indian housing agency administers AZ 012, NM 014 and UT 005. Puerto Rico state housing agency administers RQ 001, RQ 002, RQ 003, RQ 004, RQ 005, and RQ 90 1.

   In these agencies with multiple codes we show totals separately (summary level 5), and also a grand total under one code (summary level 4). In simpler agencies we just show the grand total (summary level 4).
   

6. Project record (not for Certificates+Vouchers, Moderate Rehabilitation) A 'project' is a building or group of buildings funded at about the same time.
   
7. Census tract summary
   

   A Census tract is an area of about 1,500 homes, chosen by local communities in cooperation with the Census Bureau, as an area that is somewhat homogeneous socioeconomically. Maps were published by the 1990 Census, showing tract boundaries
   

* Note that programs 6–9, (S–L) are not included in housing agency summaries, since they are independently managed.

For summary level 5, part of an agency this item gives a cross-reference to another record where one can find the total of the agency. For example the level 5 record for MD 902 shows "IN MD901" since both are run by the Maryland state housing agency and the total data are given in the level 4 record for MD 901. The total and the part may be identical, when two codes have been assigned to the agency, but only one is in use.

For summary level 6, projects: name is in the first 12 characters of this item, a brief address is in the second 12 characters and city is in the last 8.

For summary level 7 in program 4 (C), Census tracts in Certificates+Vouchers this item shows: county and tract, in the format: "Cert+Vch:county123 1234.67tract"

For summary level 7 in program 1 (A), Census tract summaries across all programs, this item shows: population, renter households, and percent in various programs, in the format: "12345pop 2345ren 12P 12C 12H 12L". The abbreviations are as ab ove, except H is a total of programs 6, 7 and 8 (S, T and F).

In summary levels 1–3, this code has a very brief label, like AL for Alabama. For other summary levels, the meaning varies by program:

In program 1 (A: i.e., for tract summaries that include all programs present in the tract), this code shows: state, tilde (~), HUD units as % of housing units in the tract in 1990, and number of housing units in the tract in 1990, like "AL~12% 1234 "

In programs 2–5 (B, P, C, K) this code shows: state abbreviation, then blank and agency#, then blank and project# if any, like: "AK 001 001" In program 2 or B, an M after the project# (in the 11th character) means Mutual Ownership.

In program 6 or S this code shows: state, 2–digit HUD office, and project number, like "AK01R123456"

In programs 7–8, (T, F) this code shows: state, underline, 3–digit HUD office and project number, like "AK_11144666" For this group, if state was unknown, we generated it from the HUD field office code. There may be some errors where offices cross state l ines.

In program 9 or L this code shows: state, curly bracket ({), then state-defined project ID, if any, like "AK{87–123"

This count is not as recent as the tenant data: it is as of 9/30/95, except in Tax Credits it is 12/94.

If an agency overall has more Certificates+Vouchers than it reports on, we assume each tract has extra Certificates+Vouchers in the same proportion (but we assume no more than twice as many in a tract as the number reported).

The number of units was missing and had to be estimated for a few projects. In Tax Credits, when we show 35 units we had no data (and used 35 since it is the national average); projects which truly had 35 or 36 units are shown as 36. In Ofc. of Housing (programs 6–8 or S–F), 66 units mean we had no data (and used 66, the national average); 67 means actually 66 or 67. In Public & Indian Housing, zero units are shown for 95 projects. It is believed most are not active project numbers.

Elsewhere no data are actually available, and numbers are assumed, purely for calculating reporting rates: In program 6 (S) occupancy rates are stipulated at 98%, and in programs 7–8 (T, F) at 96% (Wallace 1993, page 2–27, though his figures are based on rent revenue, and occupancy is less). In other programs we stipulate 99%, since almost all units are assumed occupied.

This includes rent the household pays to the agency or landlord, and an estimate of any separately metered utilities they pay (and also ownership costs in Indian ownership programs).

Based on households with rent in the range $1–$2,498; other rents are considered errors.

This is item 14 on form HUD–50058 (highest of: 10% of gross income, 30% of adjusted income, or welfare rent), except in vouchers, where it is item 22k (total family contribution), and Indian Mutual, where it is item 17h (family cost).

This is basically total income before adjustments, but it does exclude some types of income which HUD regulations do not count at all, such as earnings of minors, and scholarships.

Averages below $1,000 are shown as .00–.99 thousand dollars. Averages below $10,000 are shown as 1.0–9.9 thousand dollars. Higher averages are shown as 10. to 99. thousand dollars. (All software that we are familiar with can handle this floating decimal p oint; normally declare the maximum width: 3 and maximum decimal positions: 2.)

Based on households with income in the range $1–99000.

Note that remaining households have majority of income from another source, such as pensions, Social Security, SSI, unemployment benefits or child support, or have a mixture, with no type giving a majority of income

This is the coefficient of variation, which is the standard deviation of income, as a percent of the average income. The standard deviation measures how far each household's income is from the average income. Incomes that are far above or be low average have large effects, since the differences are squared before being averaged.

For Public Housing projects, this is the difference between: % minority for the project, and overall % minority for Public Housing at the agency. Difference is shown for each project (in absolute value). Average of these differences i s shown for each agency.

For Certificates+Vouchers (which do not have projects), difference is based on Census tracts with more than 10 households reported: average difference between: % minority among Certificates+Vouchers in the tract, and overall % minority among Certif icates+Vouchers at the agency.

Summaries of this item exclude agencies that are under 5% or over 95% minority, and agencies with only one project or tract, since there cannot be much difference there.

Negative means West longitude, which covers most of the United States. Zero is in Britain; negative numbers go to -180 in the Aleutians; positive numbers go to +180, also in the Aleutians.

Distances in miles between points a and b can be calculated (where f=.0174532925 and converts from degrees to radians):

IF abs(longa–longb) < .001 THEN

distance = abs(lata–latb) * 69.055

ELSE

distance = 3956.56 * arcos{ [sin(lata*f) * sin(latb*f)]
+ [cos(lata*f) * cos(latb*f) * cos(abs(longa–longb)*f)] }

END IF

This, like other items, is averaged for all projects, weighted by number of units in each project

0 means not in any metropolitan area (blank or -1 means status unknown)

8888 means more than one metro area applies.

MSA and PMSA (Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area) codes form one consistent series; the distinction is minor: PMSAs are pieces of even larger "Consolidated" areas (CMSAs), while MSAs are free-standing.

These are statistical areas established by the Office of Management and Budget. HUD has subdivided some for setting Fair Market Rents and Income Limits, and HUD's areas are not reflected here.