HUD’S OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH

BIENNIAL REPORT FY 2017-2018

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

Contents

Message From the General Deputy Assistant Secretary

1

Overview, Mission, and Core Functions

3

PD&R’s People and Organization

4

PD&R Organizational Chart

5

PD&R Field Economist Organizational Chart

6

PD&R’s Funding and Budget

7

Research and Technology (R&T) Interagency

Agreements, Contracts, and Grants

7

National Housing

10

Data Infrastructure

10

Housing Market Intelligence

12

Program Parameter Data

13

Allocation Formulas

16

Data for Research and Monitoring

18

Research and Demonstrations

21

Research Roadmap

21

Completed and Ongoing Projects

22

PD&R’s Outreach and Dissemination

43

PD&R Sponsored Events

44

Dissemination to Housing and Community Development

Professionals Through Conferences

44

Periodicals

45

Awards

48

International and Philanthropic Engagement

52

Looking Ahead

54

Appendix: Publications and Datasets

55

U.S. Housing Market Conditions Reports

59

Datasets

59

Message From the General

Deputy Assistant Secretary

Forging Great Teams

The U.S. Department of Housing and This biennial report features a few of Urban Development (HUD), Office

those teams and the work they have

of Policy Development and Research

done over the past couple of years.

(PD&R), is pleased to present our fiscal

These are only examples; there are many,

years (FY) 2017 and 2018 Biennial

many more teams and individual efforts

Report. Our goal for this report is to tell

that continue to allow PD&R to be

the people who use the data and research

the national source for data, analysis,

we produce who we are, what we do, and

and research on federal housing and

a little bit of how we do it.

community development programs, as

well as the broad data source on housing

The report highlights some of PD&R’s

and housing markets both nationally

most notable and transformative

and locally.

accomplishments over the past 2

years, from October 1, 2016 through

Make sure to visit HUDUser.gov often,

September 30, 2018. It focuses on

where you can read our biweekly

everything that makes up PD&R: the

eMagazine, The Edge; catch up on the

mission, people, funding, projects, data,

latest housing statistics with the monthly

dissemination and outreach, and partner

National Housing Market Indicators

engagement.

report and our regional and local

housing market analyses; sign up for our

As the General Deputy Assistant

listserv, which provides regular updates

Secretary for PD&R, I have two jobs:

on what is new; and join our mailing list

(1) keeping the trains running on time

for our two free signature periodicals,

(figuratively) and 2) solving problems.

Cityscape and Evidence Matters.

PD&R uses teams to accomplish both

activities. In PD&R, our teams have

clear goals and specific plans to achieve

those goals. These plans provide the

who, what, when— who is going to do

Todd M. Richardson

what specific task and when they are

General Deputy Assistant Secretary

going to have it done. With the support

Office of Policy Development and

of the Secretary and Congress, the

Research

other managers in PD&R and I make

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

sure the teams have clear direction, are

Development

empowered, and are resourced to do

the work.

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Overview, Mission,

and Core Functions

PD&R was established in 1973. The PD&R provides enterprisewide support statutory authority for PD&R’s

for HUD and works to achieve the

research activities is in Title V of the

Department’s vision of being the

Housing and Urban Development Act

preeminent source of research on

of 1970 (as amended in 1973), which

housing and communities in the

authorizes programs of “research, studies,

United States.

testing, and demonstrations relating

to the missions and programs of the

Department.”

The mission of PD&R is to inform

policy development and implementation

to improve life in American communities

through conducting, supporting,

and sharing research, surveys,

demonstrations, program evaluations,

and best practices. This mission is

achieved through three interrelated core

functions:

• Collect and analyze national housing

market data (including with Census

Bureau).

• Conduct research, program

evaluations, and demonstrations.

• Provide policy advice and support to

the Secretary and program offices.

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FY 2017-2018

PD&R’s People and

Organization

PD&R’s most important asset

conversations; designs and maintains

is its team of 134 employees,

HUD’s departmentwide geographic

which includes 106 staff members in

information system (GIS) capability;

Headquarters working across seven

provides administrative data on HUD

offices and 12 divisions. One of the

programs for research and program

many strengths of this team is the diverse

monitoring; and much more.

expertise of the staff, with backgrounds in

economics, public policy, law, sociology,

In addition to staff members in

geography, anthropology, criminology,

headquarters, PD&R’s 28 field

architecture, engineering, urban

economists work in the 10 HUD

planning, business administration, and

regional offices across the country. Field

public administration.

economists conduct comprehensive

housing market analyses for publication;

This team generates core program

support Federal Housing Administration

parameter data, including fair market

(FHA) reviews for multifamily mortgage

rents and income limits; undertakes

insurance; collect and maintain data on

regulatory impact analysis for all HUD

demographic, economic, and housing

regulatory actions; designs and procures

market conditions; conduct special

complex research and demonstrations;

studies; fulfill data requests; and prepare

develops allocation funding formulas

regional summaries of housing market

for various HUD programs; facilitates

conditions and local housing market

engagement with international and

profiles for publication in U.S. Housing

philanthropic peers; ensures that research

Market Conditions reports.

and data are provided to inform policy

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PD&R Organizational Chart

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FY 2017-2018

PD&R Field Economist Organizational Chart

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FY 2017-2018

PD&R’s Funding and Budget

Research and Technology (R&T)

PD&R provides fundamental support PD&R’s work enables Congress, the for the Department’s mission through

Secretary, principal HUD staff, state

national surveys, policy analysis, research,

and local government officials, and

and program evaluations. Research and

the private sector to make informed

Technology (R&T) funding supports

decisions on housing and community

the conduct of a number of surveys

development policy and program

through Interagency Agreement with the

implementation. The graph below shows

U.S. Census Bureau; complex research

PD&R appropriated funding for core

and evaluations as well as knowledge

R&T, research and demonstrations, and

dissemination; unsolicited research

technical assistance since FY 2015.

proposals through research partnership

grants; and technical assistance efforts for

HUD’s programs and initiatives.

PD&R Funding Appropriations

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FY 2017-2018

PD&R manages its R&T funding in three

grants support innovative research

categories:

conceived and partially funded

by academia, foundations, and

1. Core R&T. This has held steady

nonprofits beyond HUD’s walls.

at $50 million for FY 2017–2018.

It funds the national housing data

2. Research, Evaluations, and

infrastructure, PD&R’s efforts to

Demonstrations. PD&R’s

disseminate knowledge, and housing

discretionary research and evaluation,

technology innovation.

funded at $14 million in FY 2017

and $11 million in FY 2018, is

a. Data Infrastructure: The largest

guided by the HUD Research

component of Core R&T

Roadmap, a learning agenda that

supports several national surveys

PD&R develops through an iterative

that inform policymakers about

consulting process to ensure that

homeowner and rental units,

the research is forward looking,

HUD-assisted and unassisted

systematic, and well structured.

populations, and the nature of

Using the roadmap as a guide,

affordable housing problems.

HUD recommends—and Congress

These data sources are used widely

specifies through the Appropriations

in the private sector and are

Conference Reports—the specific

essential for an efficient housing

research projects to be supported each

market, which in calendar year

year.

2017 contributed $2.5 trillion to

the U.S. gross domestic product.

3. Technical Assistance. This funding

supports HUD-wide technical

b. Knowledge Management,

assistance (TA)—$25 million in

Dissemination, and Outreach:

FY 2017 and $28 million in FY

Through this category of funding,

2018. PD&R chairs a committee of

PD&R disseminates research to

Assistant Secretaries representing each

inform evidence-based policy

of HUD’s program offices to decide

and convenes stakeholders for

on how best to target TA funding in

shared learning opportunities.

order to effectively support grantees

Key beneficiaries of knowledge

and other entities in a nonsiloed

management activities include

manner. Once allocations are agreed

policymakers, HUD grantees,

on, PD&R allots the funding to the

program staff, builders and

Office of Community Planning and

developers, external experts, and

Development to administer on behalf

international entities.

of the program offices.

c. Housing Technology and Research

Innovation: The third component

of Core R&T includes the

provision of technical, evidence-

based guidance in the areas of

building technologies, state

and local land use practices,

and disaster preparedness and

mitigation. Research partnership

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Technical Assistance Teams

Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity

Building Program

As HUD’s integrated technical assistance and capacity building initiative, the Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program is designed to help HUD’s customers navigate complex housing and community development challenges by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully and sustainably. The program also provides effective administrative and managerial oversight of HUD funding.

Recognizing that HUD customers often interact with a variety of HUD programs as they deliver housing or community development services, Community Compass brings together TA investments from across HUD program offices, including the Offices of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), Community Planning and Development (CPD), Housing, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), and Field Policy and Management. This cross-funding approach allows TA to address the needs of grantees and subgrantees across multiple HUD programs, often within the same engagement.

The Community Compass program is centrally managed by the Office of Community Planning and Development, with PD&R serving as the HUD-wide technical assistance coordinator. PD&R is responsible for working across HUD’s programs to improve cross-program TA coordination, to effectively track TA investments, and to plan the best uses of HUD’s limited TA funding.

Community Compass funds are awarded through competitive Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA). Through the FY 2017 Community Compass NOFA, HUD

awarded over $52 million in FY 2017 TA funding to support TA and capacity building needs across the Department, including $22,250,000 in Departmental TA funds and $30,223,608 in other program-specific TA funds (for example, McKinney-Vento, NAHASDA). In FY 2018, PD&R and CPD switched to a 2-year NOFA model. The significantly revised FY 2018/2019 Community Compass NOFA will award 2 years of funding through one competition, including an estimated $73.5 million in FY 2018

TA funding and any additional TA funding that HUD may receive through FY 2019

appropriations. Switching to a 2-year NOFA cycle will ease administrative burdens on applicants and HUD staff and enable HUD to issue awards in FY 2019 more quickly.

Over the course of FY 2017 and 2018, PD&R and CPD also launched standardized processes for tracking TA outcomes and training learning objectives, along with implementing customer service surveys to track the effectiveness of HUD’s TA engagements. Using the data gathered from these new processes, HUD will be able to strengthen its TA program and provide more effective support to its grantees.

“There are two teams that make technical assistance work seamlessly at HUD. The executive team with leadership from all parts of HUD agree on the highest priority investments, and they are supported by a staff-level team from the Offices of Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and Development, Housing, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, PD&R, and others, who task the TA work to accomplish those priorities. The good working relationships within and between these teams facilitate in-depth engagements, cross-functional engagements, and efficient use of limited resources to accomplish HUD’s mission.”

—Heidi Joseph

PD&R Staff Level Team Lead

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National Housing

Data Infrastructure

PD&R provides data on America’s

those homes have changed over time. The

housing through several national

data made available publicly to researchers

surveys. These surveys have provided

is “microdata” for each respondent, thus

in-depth pictures of America’s housing

allowing for in-depth research.

for decades and inform both public-

and private-sector decisions in the $2.5

The 2017 AHS includes over 113,000

trillion U.S. housing sector.

housing units in its sample. In addition

to reporting national estimates, it

American Housing Survey (AHS)

provides estimates for 25 metropolitan

areas. The AHS includes an oversample

The American Housing Survey (AHS)

of HUD-assisted units to gain reliable

is the richest source of information

statistics on HUD-assisted tenants’ views

about the nation’s housing stock and

of the condition of their housing. Four

the characteristics of its occupants, and

topical modules on various subjects of

it has an important role in assessing the

interest were also included in 2017;

performance of government housing

those modules addressed commuting

programs. PD&R provides funding,

costs, disaster preparedness, evictions,

oversight, and leadership on the AHS,

and whether households have difficulty

and the U.S. Census Bureau provides

paying mortgage, rent, and utility costs

operational management and conducts

in a timely manner.

data collection.

FY 2018 funding will enable PD&R

Fielded in odd-numbered years, the AHS

to conduct the 2019 AHS, which will

is a sample of American Homes. A new

include 25 metropolitan surveys and

representative national sample was drawn

topical modules on food insecurity,

for the 2015 AHS and has generated data

secondary education enrollment, housing

for both 2015 and 2017. It provides both

accessibility for the elderly and disabled,

national and metropolitan information

and housing insecurity.

on America’s housing, as well as how

“PD&R’s four staff in the Housing and Demographic Analysis Division work with the more than 75 staff members at the Census Bureau to design and field these complex surveys. In addition, every day there are hundreds of Census Bureau staff in the field conducting these surveys across the country, providing regularly updated data critical to understanding U.S. housing, which represents 12 percent of the U.S. economic output.”

—Shawn Bucholtz

Director, Housing and Demographic Analysis Division

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Rental Housing Finance Survey

investment. Trade associations use

the data for housing market analysis.

The Rental Housing Finance Survey

Manufacturers and their suppliers use the

(RHFS) is a national survey of owners

estimates to monitor trends in prices and

or property managers of single-family

characteristics (e.g., floor area, number

and multiunit rental housing. The

of bedrooms). Trade publications cite

data are nationally representative of

estimates in articles.1

both properties and units, providing

insight into the characteristics,

Survey of Construction

financing, revenue, and capital expenses

of America’s rental inventory. The

The Survey of Construction (SOC) is

RHFS was first conducted in 2012 in

a joint effort between HUD and the

partnership with the Census Bureau.

Census Bureau. The purpose of the

Since then, PD&R supported the RHFS

survey is to provide current national and

for new national estimates in 2015 and

regional statistics on starts, completions,

2018. The 2015 RHFS data are available

and characteristics of new, privately

to the public both as a microdata Public

owned single-family and multifamily

Use File and through the RHFS Table

housing units and on sales of new

Creator, which permits fast tabulations

single-family houses. Its data on new

weighted by properties or units. The

residential sales is a Principal Federal

2018 RHFS data will be available to the

Economic Indicator. The survey has been

public in late 2019.

conducted monthly and annually for

housing starts since 1959 and for new

HUD uses the RHFS data to gain a

home sales since 1963.

better understanding of the financial

health of single-family and multifamily

Manufactured Homes Survey

rental housing, including debt-to-asset

The statutorily mandated Manufactured

and cash flow metrics. Data from the

Homes Survey (MHS) provides

2015 RHFS were used extensively by

estimates of manufactured home sales

the Joint Center for Housing Studies in

and inventory for all new manufactured

their biennial State of America’s Rental

homes that have received a federal

Housing report.

inspection (i.e., HUD-code homes).

The MHS produces monthly regional

Housing Production Surveys

estimates of the average sales price for

HUD funds three important surveys

new manufactured homes and more

that paint the picture of new housing

detailed annual estimates including

production in the United States. HUD

selected characteristics of new

uses the data from each of the three

manufactured homes. In addition,

surveys to monitor total new housing

MHS produces monthly estimates of

production, market absorption, and

homes shipped, by status. Data on

affordability. HUD uses the data to

shipments are available on a monthly

monitor total new housing production

and annual basis going back to 1959.

and its affordability. The Bureau of

Data on homes shipped, by status, are

Economic Analysis uses the data as an

available on a monthly basis going back

input to estimates of residential fixed

to January 2014.

1 U.S. Census Bureau. “Primary Customers and Users,” Manufactured Housing Survey. https://www.census.gov/

programs-surveys/mhs/about.html.

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Survey of Market Absorption

interviewer collects information on

amenities, rent or sales price levels,

The Survey of Market Absorption of

number of units, type of building,

New Multifamily Units (SOMA) is a

and the number of units taken off the

survey of newly constructed buildings

market. If necessary, interviews are also

with five or more units. The SOMA

conducted at 6, 9, and 12 months after

provides estimates of rent level and

building completion. HUD and the

market uptake for apartments and

Census Bureau release quarterly reports

sale price and market uptake for

and an annual report with 12-month

condominiums and cooperatives. The

absorption data.

Housing Market Intelligence

Economists in Headquarters and

selected metropolitan housing market

the field offices generate up-to-date

areas during FY 2017–2018. These

information on all facets of national

reports provide guidance for HUD in

and local housing markets. These data

its operations and have proven to be

and reports are prominently featured on

useful to builders, mortgagees, and

the HUDUser.gov website under “U.S.

others concerned with local housing

Housing Market Conditions.”

condition trends.

Each month, PD&R provides an

PD&R housing market reports in

overview of changes in the national

2017 showed continued progress in

housing market with its National

the housing market recovery. New

Housing Market Indicators report, which

and existing home sales showed their

pulls together the data from public and

strongest performance since 2006 and

private sources to summarize changes

2007, with respective annual increases of

in the national housing market. This

9 and 1 percent. New home construction

report provides the latest data and

was up 2 percent over the previous year.

trends in the sale of new and previously

Inventories rose for new homes but

owned homes, new construction for

fell for previously owned homes, with

single-family and multifamily homes,

the average months’ supply of existing

rental and homeownership affordability,

homes for sale falling to the lowest

homeowner equity, and delinquencies

level since first recorded in 1999. With

and foreclosures, among other

only moderate wage gains and house

information.

prices for both homes sold and rents

appreciating in the 6 to 7 percent range,

Each quarter, the National Housing

housing affordability declined in 2017.

Market Summary and the Regional

After falling since 2004, the national

Narratives provide a more in-depth

homeownership rate turned the corner,

picture of national and regional housing

increasing to 63.9 in 2017 from 63.4

market trends. The Regional Narratives

percent in 2016.

provide data relevant to the states and

metropolitan areas in each region.

The housing market began to soften

in 2018. New home sales improved

PD&R’s field economists have also

from the previous year, but existing

prepared more than 90 Comprehensive

home sales fell by 3 percent. New home

Housing Market Analysis reports for

construction peaked in early 2018 and

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

has been trending down or flat since.

rental prices, however, continued to

Inventories of homes for sale rose in

rise. Affordability weakened in 2018,

2018, but the average months’ supply of

with rising mortgage rates and higher

existing homes improved only slightly,

house prices through most of 2018 and

from 3.9 months to 4.0 months. House

only moderate wage gains. National

prices for homes sold began to moderate

homeownership continued to improve,

toward the end of 2018, with annual

reaching a rate of 64.4 percent in the

gains falling in the 5 to 6 percent range;

third quarter.

“For each Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis, we develop a factual framework based on information available, as of a particular date, from both local and national sources.

Each analysis takes into consideration changes in the economic, demographic, and housing inventory characteristics of a specific housing market area during three periods: from 2000 to 2010, from 2010 to the as-of date of the analysis, and from the as-of date to a 3-year forecast date.”

—Robert Stephens

Field Economist

Program Parameter Data

Many of HUD’s programs are intended

Fair Market Rent Data

to serve low- and moderate-income

households or to encourage investment

PD&R annually updates FMRs for every

in distressed places. The programs

metropolitan area and nonmetropolitan

generally have rules that establish cost

county in the United States, a total

limits or targeting requirements intended

of—2,642 areas. FMRs are used to

to minimize the government cost or risk

determine payment-standard amounts

exposure. PD&R provides those limits

for the Housing Choice Voucher

and the data that conform to those

(HCV) Program—that is, the maximum

targeting requirements, called “program

amount of rent that HUD will subsidize;

parameter data.”

determine initial renewal rents for

some expiring project-based Section 8

The data PD&R develops are different

contracts; and determine initial rents for

for every area to account for the

housing assistance payment contracts

wide variation in cost of living in the

in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single

United States. Most of the data PD&R

Room Occupancy program. FMRs also

produces are updated annually. PD&R

serve as a rent ceiling in the HOME

endeavors to provide these data on a

Investment Partnerships (HOME) rental

regular schedule, which is posted on the

assistance program.

HUDUser website; for example, PD&R

publishes income limits on or before

Designed to provide a rent subsidy

April 1 each year and Fair Market Rents

limit that allows households to access

(FMRs) on or before September 1.

an adequate supply of modestly priced

rental units in a housing market—that

is, the lower cost 40 percent of the

market—FMRs are gross rent estimates

that include the shelter rent plus the

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FY 2017-2018

cost of all necessary utilities.2 Using data

in 2018. In response, PD&R played a

from the Census Bureau, HUD annually

significant role in providing technical

estimates FMRs for each area.

assistance to PHAs in 2018 to help

them with implementation of this new

FMRs experienced their most significant

requirement.

change in decades with the publication

of the Small Area Fair Market Rents

This rule greatly expands the number

(SAFMR) Final Rule on November 16,

of FMR areas PD&R must calculate.

2016. SAFMRs are Fair Market Rents

In addition to continuing to calculate

calculated at the ZIP Code rather than

the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan

the metropolitan level. The SAFMR rule

county estimates, PD&R now also

permits any public housing authority

calculates FMR for 26,019 ZIP Code

(PHA) to opt in to using ZIP Code

areas.

FMRs instead of metropolitan FMRs.

In response to significant voucher

Up to 11 steps go into calculating each

concentration challenges and market

SAFMR, depending on the quality of

conditions, the rule also requires PHAs

the data available in that ZIP Code. To

in 24 metropolitan areas to use SAFMRs.

inform users on how an individual ZIP

Approximately 200 PHAs were required

Code area’s SAFMR limit was calculated,

to begin use of SAFMRs in 2018.

HUDUser.gov provides a page dedicated

to SAFMRs, where users may select the

Although HUD had intended to allow

ZIP Code of interest and receive detailed

PHAs until 2020 to meet the mandatory

information on how the SAFMR was

requirements of the rule, the courts

calculated for that ZIP Code.

disagreed and required implementation

Small Area Fair Market Rent

Implementation Team

As a result of a court decision at the end of December 2017 that reversed HUD’s plan to provide an additional 2 years for PHAs to implement SAFMRs, HUD had to immediately provide technical assistance so that PHAs could implement the requirements by April 1, 2018. Few, if any, of the approximately 200 PHAs required to implement SAFMR had begun the process when the court ruling was made.

A team of 12 staff from PD&R, PIH, and the Office of General Council (OGC) quickly provided clear guidance, technical assistance, and ongoing support to PHAs so that they could redefine their FMR areas from metropolitanwide areas to ZIP Codes.

“Between January and March of 2018, this team was able to engage with industry; set up a web page and FAQs; issue guidance; [and] hire a technical assistance provider to develop and provide training at five venues across the U.S. Our work was essential to give PHAs a chance to successfully implement this new complex program requirement.”

—Peter Kahn, Director

Program Parameter Research Division

2 Telephone, cable or satellite television, and Internet services are excluded.

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Income Limits Data

and local governments with preparing

their consolidated plans. PD&R supports

Federal law requires HUD to set income

these plans by providing the data in the

limits that determine the eligibility

Geographic Information System (GIS)

of applicants for HUD’s assisted

Consolidated Planning tool.

housing programs. One of the major

active assisted housing programs is

The data also are also used by researchers

the Section 8 HCV program. HUD’s

nationwide to look at housing problems

Section 8 Income Limits begin with

in a local economic context by showing

the production of Median Family

housing problems by locally adjusted

Income (MFI) estimates. HUD uses

income breaks (primarily 30, 50, and 80

the Section 8 program’s FMR area

percent of Area Median Income [AMI]).

definitions in developing MFI estimates;

therefore, HUD develops income

The CHAS data also are used to update

estimates for each metropolitan area,

the Census Tracts and nonmetropolitan

parts of some metropolitan areas, and

places that meet the CDBG low-mod

each nonmetropolitan county. HUD

“area benefit” requirement—that is,

calculates Section 8 income limits for

areas with places where more than 51

every FMR area, with adjustments

percent of the population are less than

for family size and for areas that have

80 percent of median income. These

unusually high or low income-to-

data are updated every 5 years using the

housing-cost relationships.

special tabulation data. The low-mod

benefit areas will be updated in FY 2019

In addition to being used by all of

with the CHAS data.

HUD’s housing assistance programs,

the income limit data are used by the

HOME and Housing Trust Fund

Community Development Block Grant

Sales Price Limits

(CDBG), HOME, Housing Trust Fund,

and Low Income Housing Tax Credit

Both the HOME program and the

(LIHTC) programs, among others.

Housing Trust Fund limit the initial

purchase price or after-rehabilitation

Comprehensive Housing

value of homeownership units assisted

Affordability Strategy

with HOME funds to 95 percent of

(CHAS) Data and Community

the area median purchase price for

Development Block Grant (CDBG)

single-family housing, as determined

Low and Moderate Income Benefit

by HUD. PD&R annually estimates

Areas

these limits using data from the Federal

HUD periodically receives custom

Housing Administration (FHA) and the

tabulations of census data from the

Federal Housing Finance Agency, which

Census Bureau that are largely unavailable

regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

through standard Census Bureau

These data are updated each spring.

products. These data, known as the

Comprehensive Housing Affordability

FHA Loan Limits Data

Strategy (CHAS) data, demonstrate the

PD&R calculates for FHA forward

extent of housing problems and housing

mortgage limits based on median house

needs, particularly for low-income

prices in accordance with the National

households. The primary purpose of the

Housing Act. FHA’s Single-Family

CHAS data is to support over 1,000 state

forward mortgage limits are set by

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and

LIHTC QCTs must have 50 percent

county and are published periodically.

of households with incomes below

FHA publishes updated limits effective

60 percent of the Area Median Gross

for each calendar year. The limits are at

Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate

or between the low-cost area and high-

of 25 percent or more. DDAs are areas

cost area limits based on the median

with high land, construction, and utility

house prices for the area.

costs relative to the AMI and are based

on FMRs, income limits, the 2010

LIHTC Qualified Census Tract

Census counts, and 5-year American

(QCTs) and Difficult Development

Community Survey (ACS) data.

Areas (DDAs)

Investors in LIHTC properties in QCTs

In addition to the items noted above,

or DDAs can receive a boost in the value

PD&R calculates Annual Adjustment

of their tax credits relative to investments

Factors, Renewal Funding Inflation

outside these areas. PD&R is tasked with

Factors, and a Utility Schedule Model to

identifying these areas consistent with

support program operations.

statutory requirements.

Allocation Formulas

For HUD’s appropriated program funds,

The primary reason for this approach is

only 6 percent is awarded each year to

that the bulk of HUD’s funding either

grantees competitively—that is, by a

supports existing tenants or needs to

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

have long-term planning to have a

or a Request for Proposal (RFP), with

sustained impact. Formulas are very

most of that being the Continuum of

good for achieving both of those goals.

Care (CoC) NOFA that is a hybrid of a

Formulas also get money into the hands

formula and a competition.

of grantees quickly. Competitions take

6 to 18 months from appropriation to

The remainder is allocated by block

allocation and require a great deal of

grant formulas (CDBG, HOME,

HUD staff resources to manage. Formula

Indian Housing Block Grant [IHBG],

allocations, on the other hand, generally

Operating Fund, Capital Fund, Housing

take 1 to 3 months from appropriation

Opportunities for Persons With AIDS

to allocation and require very few HUD

[HOPWA], Emergency Solutions

staff resources.

Grants [ESG], Fair Housing Assistance

Program [FHAP]—27 percent) or

PD&R has been an important

housing assistance contracts with

contributor to the design and

various formula-like components (HCV

maintenance of all these formulas and

Housing Assistance Payments [HAP] and

housing assistance contracts—about $43

Administrative Fee, Project Based Rental

billion in funding allocations each year.

Assistance, 202/811 Programs for the

The CDBG, HOME, IHBG, and PIH

Elderly or Persons with Disabilities—67

Capital Fund formulas, among others,

percent). When HUD receives funding

were all developed by current or former

for new housing vouchers, such as HUD

PD&R staff.

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing

(HUD-VASH), the funds also are often

In 2017 and 2018, PD&R staff were

allocated through formulas.

responsible for implementing two

16 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

formulas, the HUD-VASH formula

local governments, including nearly $20

for allocating new special purpose

billion to support Puerto Rico’s recovery

housing vouchers to serve veterans and

from Hurricane Maria.

the CDBG Disaster Recovery formula,

which targets funds to support recovery

HUD-VASH Vouchers

from America’s most severe disasters.

Ending veteran homelessness is a top

Community Development Block

priority in the Federal Strategic Plan

Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)

to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The HUD-VASH program combines

The history of allocating CDBG-DR

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental

by formula begins in 1993, when

assistance for homeless veterans with

Congress made several appropriations

case management and clinical services

to assist with the long-term recovery of

provided by the Department of Veterans

communities suffering from a number

Affairs (VA). Every year since 2008,

of disasters. The Secretary asked PD&R

HUD and VA have awarded HUD-

to develop a formula to get the funds

VASH vouchers based on geographic

into the hands of affected communities

need and public housing agency (PHA)

quickly. PD&R identified and obtained

administrative performance. PD&R

data from the Federal Emergency

informs allocation formula strategies

Management Agency (FEMA) and the

using data from HUD’s point-in-time

Small Business Administration (SBA) to

(PIT) counts of sheltered and unsheltered

inform those allocations. Over the years,

veterans submitted by CoCs and VA data

and particularly for Hurricane Katrina in

on the number of contacts with homeless

2005 and the years following, CDBG-

veterans and available permanent

DR has grown from a small part of

supportive housing assets. From time to

community recovery to a major part, and

time, PD&R has also developed scoring

when Congress appropriates the funds,

methodologies for competitively awarding

PD&R develops the allocation formula.

project-based HUD-VASH vouchers

based on need and rental market factors

More than $38 billion was appropriated

using ACS and CHAS data. Since 2008,

(mostly in FY 2017 and FY 2018)

more than 97,000 vouchers have been

to address disaster recovery needs for

awarded, and the number of veterans

disasters in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

experiencing homelessness has declined by

PD&R staff developed the formulas

nearly one-half.

to allocate those funds to 16 state and

PD&R Support for HUD’s Disaster Missions

During FY 2017–2018, PD&R played an active role in supporting HUD’s engagement in community-level response and recovery. As part of the HUD team developing the Housing Recovery Support Function plans for community recovery, PD&R conducted an analysis of data to identify the most affected areas and devised strategies for housing and community recovery. PD&R performed those tasks for North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew, Texas after the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, Florida after Hurricane Irma, and Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Because of the significant impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, PD&R staff provided support by working with (continued on next page)

17 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

(continued from previous page)

disaster survivors in Disaster Recovery Centers and as part of the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team, which assessed the integrity of buildings and homes. PD&R field economists conducted economic studies in Houston, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands that resulted in the publication of Baseline Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses that will help to assess the recovery of housing and the housing market.

PD&R continued to lead the analytical process of determining unmet need as a result of disasters to equitably allocate appropriations under the CDBG-DR program. This program is the largest source of federal recovery funds in almost every disaster, with more than $38 billion distributed in FY 2018 alone.

“PD&R supports America’s communities by helping them understand the issues and opportunities when planning their recovery following a disaster. As a piece of the broader HUD team, we bring experts in economics, GIS, social science, and planning into the recovery planning process.”

—Dana Bres

PD&R Team Lead for Disaster Response

Data for Research and Monitoring

HUD receives an enormous amount of

program questions without revealing the

information from grantees and lenders

identity of individual assisted families.

to support program operations. Those

It presents statistics on the number and

data are not only a needed source of

characteristics of households that receive

information to ensure that an individual

assistance through federal housing

or project meets program requirements,

programs, including socioeconomic

but they are also valuable information

and demographic information, such as

for understanding the bigger picture of

family income, race, ethnicity, age of

who is served, where they are served, and

head of household, number of household

how well the programs are meeting their

members, disability, and location and

overall objectives.

type of neighborhood. For the report,

PD&R aggregates household data by

For the big picture, PD&R aggregates

program and at various geographic

data from multiple HUD systems for

levels—national, state, city, county,

housing assistance and community

congressional district, and census tract.

development programs, and makes

It includes the public housing program,

those data available to the public and

housing choice vouchers, moderate

researchers to support research and

rehabilitation, and the collection of

monitoring activities.

multifamily programs.

A Picture of Subsidized

Various versions of Picture data are

Households

available on HUDUser.gov, with extracts

A Picture of Subsidized Households is a

dating back to 1970. Since 2004,

master compilation of information on

PD&R has generated the data annually.

subsidized housing from HUD’s major

Picture is based on data extracted as of

data-collection systems. The report is

December 31 and posted by the end of

useful for answering public policy and

the following January.

18 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

as the Department’s primary source

Data

for geospatial data, services, and

applications. PD&R designed and

PD&R collects data annually on

developed the geodatabase and service-

properties placed in service through the

oriented architecture that forms the

LIHTC program. The data are provided

backbone of the eGIS platform, and

to PD&R by the state and local housing

PD&R continues to oversee the

finance agencies (HFAs) that administer

operation, maintenance, and further

the program. The database currently

development of the platform. To support

includes all properties placed in service

this effort, PD&R and the Office of

through 2016. Data on properties placed

the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)

in service through 2017 were collected in

collaborate to manage a contract that the

late 2018. The next update, including the

entire Department is leveraging to create

2017 properties, is expected in the spring

and manage GIS solutions.

of 2019. This database includes data on

all properties placed into service since the

Since 2015, the HUD Resource

beginning of the program, but the most

Locator (HRL) has had nearly 1 million

reliable information begins in 1995, when

unique user sessions; the Community

PD&R began collecting the data.

Assessment Reporting Tool (CART)

has provided a clear picture of nearly

In 2008, the Housing and Economic

all of HUD’s investments in individual

Recovery Act (HERA) required the state

communities; several new tools were

and local housing finance agencies to

introduced in 2017 and 2018 to

submit LIHTC tenant data to HUD.

ease compliance with fair housing

PD&R releases a report annually

requirements for the Rental Assistance

summarizing that information. The

Demonstration and transfer-of-assistance

report summarizes tenant demographic

requirements for the Project-Based

information, household income, and

Rental Assistance programs; the eGIS

rent levels.

data has permitted easily accessed

Geo-Enabled Data and Tools

knowledge of HUD’s investments that

were at risk from various disasters of

PD&R plays the principal role in

2017 and 2018 and has supported

maintaining and developing HUD’s

CDBG-DR formula allocations; the

geospatial capabilities. PD&R designed

eGIS team spearheaded the work

and developed HUD’s Enterprise

of improving HUD’s addresses for

Geographic Information System

properties in Puerto Rico to support

(eGIS) platform, a common geospatial

post-Hurricane Maria recovery; and the

infrastructure shared agencywide.

eGIS storefront continued to have its

The eGIS platform supports several

data refreshed for nearly 100 publicly

HUD program functions and serves

available geospatial datasets.

“Over the last 2 years, our eGIS team of three staff and limited contract support have successfully maintained platform operations, including six business applications, while collaborating with staff throughout HUD to expand the availability of open data, provide support for important research and demonstrations, prepare for a migration to the cloud, and introduce new capabilities to the portfolio.”

—Robert Renner

GIS Team Lead, PD&R

19 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Data Linkages

the infrastructure for linking data,

maintaining data confidentiality, and

Linking administrative data, such as

receiving external proposals for research

tenant characteristics, with survey

using the linked data.

data and other research datasets is an

increasingly important and cost-effective

HUD has entered into interagency

way to address key research and policy

agreements with the Census Bureau to

questions for the assisted-housing

expand access to HUD data, identify

population. PD&R is partnering with

HUD-assisted tenants in national

federal agencies and using administrative

surveys, and support matching with

linkages to leverage the value of public

non-HUD data by approved internal

investments in survey data.3

and external researchers at secured

Federal Statistical Research Data

During FY 2017, HUD and the U.S.

Centers. The Bureau’s Economic

Department of Education extended

Reimbursable Surveys Division

their partnership to link data on assisted

manages the infrastructure for linking

tenants with Federal Student Aid data

HUD’s tenant data and datasets from

and experimentally test interventions

major randomized control trials with

through behavioral science to promote

the Census’ survey data and other

application for and receipt of federal

administrative datasets. Researchers now

student aid by college-age tenants.

have access to data from the Moving to

During FY 2018, this team began

Opportunity (MTO) demonstration

evaluating the efficacy of education

and the Family Options demonstration.

navigators funded by Resident

During FY 2018, proposals were

Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency

approved for one MTO research project

(ROSS) grants, also known as Project

and two Family Options projects, as data

SOAR, to support young adults who

linkage creates opportunities to generate

reside in public housing.

new evidence from prior investments

in program demonstrations. Planning

PD&R continues to advance tenant

efforts are underway to expand such low-

health research through a data linkage

cost research collaborations.

partnership with the National Center

for Health Statistics (NCHS) to identify

HUD-assisted tenants in health survey

data from 1999 through 2016. This

collaboration is enabling researchers

for the first time to study outcomes for

HUD populations related to health

status, chronic disease, healthcare

utilization, morbidity, and mortality.

Previously linked data files enabled

researchers to publish several studies of

the relationship between assisted housing

and health during FY 2017–2018.

The NCHS research center provides

3 All such data linkage initiatives and research activities integrate strong privacy protection policies, procedures, and legal penalties to prevent any disclosure of confidential information.

20 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Research and

Demonstrations

PD&R research and demonstrations • Research partnership grants.

align with HUD’s strategic goals

PD&R may enter into unsolicited

and cover a range of topics. This work

research partnerships with academic

is directed by PD&R’s learning agenda

institutions, philanthropic entities,

known as the Research Roadmap. Many

state governments, units of local

of PD&R’s research and demonstration

governments, and non-profit and for-

profit institutions in the United States

efforts take from 3 to 10 years from the

through noncompetitive cooperative

time they are initiated until results are

agreements. On a rolling basis, PD&R

released; however, whenever possible,

staff reviews unsolicited proposals to

interim data, findings, and reports are

assess their relevancy to supporting

made available.

HUD’s research, the extent to which

they meet the 50-percent matching

PD&R funds research in a variety of

requirement, and the rigor of the

ways:

research design. If they meet those

standards and funding is available,

• Contracts. PD&R annually issues

PD&R will fund those proposals.

solicitations for research on specific

In FY 2017–2018, eight research

topics, most of which were identified

partnership projects were completed.

through the Research Roadmap

• The Multidisciplinary Research Team

process or specified by Congress that

(MDRT) is a contract, initiated in

HUD undertake.

2014, to manage a team of qualified

• Research NOFA grants. The Research

researchers to expand the ability of

and Evaluation, Demonstrations, and

PD&R to obtain high-quality, short-

Data Analysis and Utilization program

turnaround research to support HUD’s

(referred to as “HUDRD” Notice of

priority policies and goals.

Funding Availability (NOFA) is an

The following text outlines PD&R’s

annual competitive solicitation of

process for selecting projects, a

applications under designated research

topics for cooperative agreement

compilation of recent PD&R research,

awards.

the status of current work, and projects

that are currently underway.

Research Roadmap

Developing PD&R’s Learning

its Research Roadmap as a strategic,

Agenda

5-year plan to guide research investments

PD&R’s research program is essential

and congressional budget requests.

to helping HUD achieve its mission

to create strong, sustainable, inclusive

In 2017, PD&R released the Research

communities and quality, affordable

Roadmap 2017 Update to refresh the

homes for all. To support HUD’s

FY 2014–2018 plan. The update drew

mission, PD&R engages stakeholders to

on new stakeholder input related to

identify research questions to support a

specific focus areas and other research

multiyear learning agenda. PD&R uses

priorities to create a new list of research

21 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

opportunities for a new, overlapping,

highlight the need for again soliciting

5-year period. The update established a

stakeholder input and refreshing

precedent for more iterative and ongoing

PD&R’s Research Roadmap to keep

assessment of emerging research needs

learning and evidence at the heart of

to ensure that the research function

housing and urban development policy

is forward looking, systematic, and

and programs. Planning is underway for

well structured. As HUD implements

new stakeholder outreach and research

its new 2018–2022 Strategic Plan,

roadmapping.

the Department’s new strategic goals

Completed and Ongoing Projects

The following sections highlight

This pilot study used rigorous paired

PD&R’s recently completed projects

testing methodology to explore landlord

and efforts that are currently underway.

treatment of Housing Choice Voucher

The projects are organized into eight

(HCV) holders during the initial stages

topical categories: landlord participation,

of the housing search process. It is the

health, energy and building technology,

first study to use paired testing methods

homeownership, special needs and

across multiple sites to examine landlord

homelessness, rental housing, housing

treatment of HCV holders. The study

needs, and community development.

finds that landlords often refuse to rent

This is followed by ongoing research. A

to HCV holders. In most cases, the

complete list of projects in the pipeline

landlord refusal takes place early in the

and interim reports for long-term efforts

search process, when a tester calls the

can be found on HUDUser.gov.

landlord and asks whether Housing

Choice Vouchers are accepted. In other

Landlord Participation in the

cases, the landlord may suggest that

Housing Choice Voucher Program

vouchers are accepted but subsequently

A Pilot Study of Landlord Acceptance of

fail to show up for a scheduled

Housing Choice Vouchers

appointment. Landlord denial rates vary

across the five study sites and may be

influenced by factors such as state or

local laws that prohibit discrimination by

source of income (particularly local

source of income laws that include

protections for Section 8 voucher

holders), housing market conditions, and

voucher payment standards.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pilot-

study-landlord-acceptance-hcv.html.

22 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Urban Landlords and the Housing Choice

whom accept housing choice vouchers.

Voucher Program (A Research Partnership

The report shows how local rental

with Johns Hopkins University)

markets influence landlords’ interest to

participate in the HCV program,

including (1) financial motivations

(reliable payments); (2) attitudes about

housing voucher tenants; and (3)

interactions with the PHA. Among

landlords who chose not to participate in

the HCV program, the primary reasons

stated were negative experiences with the

program itself, including frustration with

the inspection process, general

bureaucracy, and disappointment when

the PHA did not take the landlord’s side

This study investigates the role of

in conflicts between landlord and tenant.

landlords in low-rent housing markets in

The study suggests that opportunities

Baltimore, Cleveland, and Dallas and the

exist to recruit landlords into the HCV

role that landlords play in shaping the

program by focusing on the things that

residential experience of low- and

matter most to them—reliable rent

moderate-income renters, especially

payments and tenants who stay awhile,

households in the HCV program. The

help care for the property, and do not

study is based on interviews and

cause damage.

observations of a sample of 127 landlords

and property managers, 73 percent of

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

publications/UrbanLandlords.html.

“The Landlord Acceptance and Urban Landlord studies prompted Secretary Carson to create a new task force at HUD comprising staff from across the Department to find solutions for the problems identified. The task force held listening sessions across the country with landlords to find ways to increase their willingness to accept housing choice vouchers. Solving this pressing problem will be a major effort for PD&R in FY 2019.”

—Meena Bavan

Co-Team Lead for Housing Choice Voucher Task Force, PD&R

Health

estimates of demographic characteristics,

health diagnoses and conditions, and

Health Picture of HUD-Assisted Children:

2006–2012

healthcare access and utilization for

HUD-assisted children from birth

HUD and the National Center for

through age 17. To provide context,

Health Statistics agreed in 2011 to link

similar estimates are provided for two

administrative records for individuals

other relevant subgroups: (1) children

receiving housing assistance from HUD

residing in unassisted renter households

with records from the National Health

with incomes below the federal poverty

Interview Survey. This report uses the

line and (2) all children in the U.S.

linked data for 2006 through 2012 to

population. The report presents raw

present nationally representative

prevalence estimates to reflect actual

23 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

conditions for each subgroup; it does not

Similar estimates are provided for two

make statistical adjustments for age or

other relevant subgroups to support

other factors to support cross-group

contextual understanding: (1) unassisted

comparison of health conditions for

adult renters with incomes below the

similar individuals. Results demonstrate

federal poverty line and (2) all adults

that assisted children suffer

in the U.S. population. All estimates

disproportionately from serious health

use linkage-eligible survey respondents

conditions.

weighted to national totals. The data do

not include statistical adjustments for age

that would be needed for valid cross-

group comparison of health conditions

for similar individuals. Relative to

unassisted low-income renters, HUD-

assisted adults are shown, by numerous

measures, to be an older population with

more disabilities and more prevalent

health problems.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

publications/Health-Picture-of-HUD.

html.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

Energy and Building Technology

publications/Health-Picture-of-HUD-

Residential Structural Design Guide: A

Assisted-Children.html.

State-of-the-Art Engineering Resource

for Light Frame Homes, Apartments, and

Health Picture of HUD-Assisted Adults,

Townhouses

2006–2012

The complexity of homes, the use of

This report uses the linked data for

innovative materials and technologies,

2006 through 2012 to present a broad

and the increased population in high-

statistical summary of demographic

hazard areas of the United States have

characteristics, health diagnoses and

introduced many challenges to the

conditions, and healthcare access and

building industry and the building

utilization for HUD-assisted adults.

design profession. These challenges

24 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

call for the development and continual

communities. The technology supports

improvement of efficient engineering

goals of self-sufficiency, sustainability,

methods for housing applications and for

and energy independence. This report

the education of designers in addressing

provides technical and practical

structural design issues in homes. This

guidance for the production and use

text helps to document and improve

of compressed earth blocks to address

the structural engineering issues related

housing needs in Native American

to housing design and performance. It

reservations, along with planning and

complements current design practices

business considerations consistent with

and building code requirements with

tribal values and organization.

technical information and guidance. In

doing so, it supplements fundamental

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

engineering principles with various

publications/Compressed-Earth-Blocks.

technical resources and insights that

html.

focus on improving the understanding

of conventional and engineered housing

Homeownership

construction. The guide may be viewed

Insights from HUD’s First-Time Homebuyer

as a living document subject to further

Education and Counseling Demonstration

improvement as the art and science of

housing design evolve.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

publications/RSDG.html.

A Best Practices Manual for Using

Compressed Earth Blocks in Sustainable

Home Construction in Indian Country

Congress and many researchers

and practitioners in the field of

housing counseling have asked

whether prepurchase homeownership

counseling for first-time borrowers

leads to better borrower outcomes

and reduced lender risk relative to

no counseling. HUD designed The

Compressed earth blocks are molded

First-Time Homebuyer Education

adobe blocks produced using mechanical

and Counseling Demonstration as a

compaction methods. Compressed

large-scale randomized experiment to

earth blocks represent a locally sourced

answer the question about the relative

and manufactured building technology

efficacy of homebuyer education and

for producing quality, healthy, and

counseling for first-time borrowers. The

affordable housing that is consistent with

richness of the data collected on study

traditional practices and values of tribal

participants at baseline and during

25 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

the service participation period of the

Research Report for the Importance of

demonstration made possible a detailed

Mortgage Downpayment as a Deterrent to

Delinquency and Default

analysis of the study participants’

personal characteristics that are

This study was contracted to examine the

associated with program participation in

effectiveness of mortgage downpayment

initiation and completion of homebuyer

as a deterrent to delinquency and default.

education and counseling services, both

The analysis utilized Black Knight (LPS/

in-person and remote.

McDash) Financial Services loan-level

mortgage origination and performance

Key findings from Who Participates in

data of major mortgage servicers across

Homebuyer Education and Counseling

a wide range of mortgage markets. The

Services and Why? Insights from HUD’s

study objectives were to (a) construct a

First-Time Homebuyer Education and

database that expedites future empirical

Counseling Demonstration indicate that

examination, and (b) empirically

women and homebuyers with greater

examine the effect of mortgage

education were more likely to participate

downpayment on the probability of

in homebuyer education and counseling

mortgage delinquency and default,

services in general. Those at an early

holding other relevant loan-level and

stage of the homebuying process,

macroeconomic factors constant. The

those who reported being “pretty good

study found that higher downpayments

at math,” and those who planned to

(in proportion to home value) reduced

purchase a home without a co-borrower

delinquency and default risk. The

were more likely to participate in in-

study also quantified compensating

person services. Those who planned

factors that could make up for smaller

to spend more years living in their

downpayments without increased risk.

purchased home, who scored better on a

The magnitude of macroeconomic

baseline mortgage literacy quiz, or who

effects on delinquency and default risk—

had a higher credit score were more likely

such as unemployment, home price

to participate in remote services. This

appreciation, and mortgage rates and

paper provides data that can inform how

effects of their interaction with loan-level

HUD’s Housing Counseling Program

factors—were also reported.

and service providers market and deliver

homebuyer education and counseling

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

services. The report serves as a useful

publications/Downpayment-

basis for readers to assess the ultimate

FinalReport.html.

findings of the demonstration, which

will be forthcoming in future reports.

Aging in Place: Managing the Use of

Reverse Mortgages to Enable Housing

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

Stability (A Research Partnership with

publications/First-Time-Homebuyer-

Ohio State University)

Education-and-Counseling-Services.

html.

This study seeks to better understand

the demand for and takeup of reverse

mortgages. It describes the characteristics

of more than 1,700 households that

sought counseling for a reverse mortgage

26 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

between 2006 and 2011; of those

however, a slightly higher proportion

households, 74 percent obtained a

of reverse mortgage borrowers report

reverse mortgage. Using data collected

difficulty with particular Activities of

at the time of counseling and followup

Daily Living (ADLs).

survey data collected in 2014, the study

summarizes self-reported motivations

Published in Cityscape: https://www.

for seeking a reverse mortgage, including

huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/

reasons for not getting a reverse

vol19num1/ch4.pdf.

mortgage, if applicable. The study

also compares the characteristics of

Reverse Mortgage Collateral:

households that seek reverse mortgages

Undermaintenance or Overappraisal?

(In-house research)

with the general population of senior

homeowners using the 2008, 2010,

Using information on mortgages insured

and 2014 waves of the Health and

by the Federal Housing Administration,

Retirement Study. The article also

this article examines the disproportionate

compares selected outcomes of reverse

decline in collateral values associated

mortgage borrowers with outcomes

with reverse mortgages. Properties

in the general population of senior

securing reverse mortgages sell at a sharp

homeowners.

discount in foreclosure relative to similar

properties securing forward purchase

The research finds that reverse mortgage

loans. This discount, however, does

borrowers tend to have lower incomes,

not increase over time, as is expected

have very low (or no) nonhousing assets,

of depreciation related to property

and have substantial equity in their

under maintenance. Further, forward

homes. Reverse mortgage borrowers are

refinance loans show a similar discount.

less likely to have bequest motives than

An overestimate of the collateral value

are senior homeowners in the general

at origination, rather than subsequent

population. Compared with the latter

level of property maintenance, may be

group, reverse mortgage borrowers are

responsible for greater-than-expected loss

more likely to exhibit financial planning

severities.

behaviors (such as the creation of a will).

They also tend to be more risk averse and

Published in Cityscape: https://www.

score higher on indicators of financial

huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/

literacy. The study finds that 4 to 7 years

vol19num1/article1.html.

after receiving a reverse mortgage, most

counseled homeowners were generally

satisfied with their reverse mortgage

decision, and borrowers—including

terminated borrowers—thought that it

improved their quality of life. Findings

on health are nuanced. In general, reverse

mortgage borrowers do not rate their

overall health to be any lower than senior

homeowners in the general population;

27 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Home Equity Conversion Mortgages Reform

Team

FHA’s insurance program for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, also known as reverse mortgages, continues to suffer losses. The FY 2017 actuarial review found that the net worth of the program was –$14.5 billion, with a capital ratio of –19.8 percent.

Consequently, several policy changes have been implemented over the past several years to reform the program.

In January 2017, HUD published a final rule, “Strengthening the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program,” in the Federal Register (Vol. 82, No. 12). This rule codified several earlier policy changes, including Life Expectancy Set Asides (LESA) after a financial assessment, deferred due and payable status for eligible nonborrowing spouses, and limitations on initial disbursements. In addition, the final rule implemented new servicing requirements, including those governing due and payable status after a borrower fails to make required property tax and insurance payments.

These changes went into effect in September 2017 (Mortgagee Letter 2017-11).

The insurance premium structure was changed, and principal limit factors, which govern how much equity borrowers can extract, were lowered in October 2017

(Mortgagee Letter 2017-12). In addition, research from PD&R published in Cityscape found that unexpected losses in the reverse mortgage program may be due to inflated appraisals at origination (Park, 2017). In October 2018, FHA began undertaking a collateral risk assessment on new HECM appraisals and potentially requiring a second appraisal based on the results of that assessment (Mortgagee Letter 2018-06).

“Working closely with the Office of Housing, the Office of General Counsel, and PD&R, we were able to craft a policy that we expect will reduce the risk of property overappraisal in the HECM program.”

—Kevin Park

Economist and HECM Reform Team Member, PD&R

Housing Discrimination

More than 15 million people in the

United States have some type of mental

Rental Housing Discrimination on the Basis

of Mental Disabilities: Results of Pilot

disability. Many of these individuals

Testing

seek community-based housing in the

rental market. As a result of the U.S.

Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, an

increasing number of individuals with

disabilities are moving from nursing

homes and other institutional settings

into community-based settings. In

addition, most housing discrimination

complaints received in the United

States involve discrimination based on

a disability. This pilot study represents

the first comprehensive examination

of discrimination in the rental housing

28 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

market against people with mental

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Housing

disabilities (MD). The study specifically

Search

focuses on persons with mental illness

(MI) and those with intellectual or

developmental disabilities (I/DD). The

goals of the study were to (a) increase

understanding of the prevalence and

forms of housing discrimination against

this population as they seek market-rate

housing and (b) to evaluate the utility

of different approaches to paired testing

when conducting research on housing

discrimination on the basis of mental

disability.

This study represents the first time that

This research adds new insights about

individuals with MI and I/DD have

the housing search process that renters

been enlisted to serve as in-person

undertake and how that process differs

testers in a comprehensive, multicity

by race and ethnicity. By combining

housing discrimination study. The pilot

robust survey data from the Panel

testing conducted through this study

Study of Income Dynamics (PSID),

documented significant levels of adverse

the American Housing Survey (AHS),

differential treatment toward individuals

the Chicago Area Study (CAS), and

with MD compared with treatment

an original data collection from a

toward testers without MD, and people

convenience sample of 135 recent

with MI experienced higher rates of

movers and 351 current searchers from

adverse treatment than did individuals

the Washington, D.C. metropolitan

with I/DD.

area, the study provides the most

comprehensive picture to date about the

In addition to this pilot study are

rental housing search process.

four supplemental short papers to

complement and further illustrate

The report outlines a conceptual

the complex issues surrounding both

framework of five dimensions for

housing discrimination against people

understanding the complexity of the

with MD and the involvement of

housing search process and structuring

people with MD in testing for housing

the research questions: Context, Decision

discrimination.

Making, Information Gathering,

Evaluating Options, and Final Outcome.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

Within this framework, the study sought

publications/MentalDisabilities-

to understand how racial and ethnic

FinalPaper.html.

minorities differ in their search for rental

housing and answers four key questions:

(1) How do people search for rental

housing? (2) How do housing searches

differ by race and ethnicity? (3) What are

the consequences of these differences for

29 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

relative housing outcomes? and (4) What

review of existing research on rapid re-

are the implications for future research?

housing programs, documenting what

is known about outcomes from RRH

The report provides an overview of

programs and highlighting the gaps in

the complexity of the housing search

knowledge around this intervention;

process, describes racial and ethnic

and (b) a supplementary analysis of the

differences in the housing search process,

data collected for the Family Options

outlines five factors that highlight the

Study, a multisite, random assignment

unique experiences of racial and ethnic

experiment designed to determine

minorities in this process, and provides

the impact of various interventions

typologies of different housing searchers.

for homeless families. The latter is a

Key findings from the secondary data

nonexperimental analysis of outcomes

analysis include the following: Black

for families who were assigned to RRH

and Latino renters are more likely than

and those who were not assigned to the

White renters to use social networks to

RRH group but who accessed RRH

identify rental units, may settle on a unit

assistance during the 37-month course of

that does not satisfy their criteria, and

the study.

often stay in the same neighborhood.

Analysis of original data collection in

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

the D.C. area found that many Black

publications/Supplemental-Analysis-

renters reported that they do not enjoy

Rapid-Re-housing.html.

equal access to housing in the area, and

a large share report having personally

Rental Housing

experienced what they perceived to be

Length of Stay in Assisted Housing

housing discrimination. A large portion

of Black renters also attempted to avoid

housing discrimination by relying

on social networks to help them find

amenable landlords.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

publications/HousingSearch.html.

Special Needs and Homelessness

Understanding Rapid Re-housing:

Systematic Literature Review and

Supplemental Analysis of Data from the

Family Options Study

The Understanding Rapid Re-housing

This study examines the length of

study is a detailed examination of Rapid

time that households participate in

Re-housing (RRH), a short-term rental

assisted housing programs administered

assistance and services program model

by HUD. The research uses HUD

designed to help people experiencing

administrative data from 1995 through

homelessness obtain and maintain

2015 to examine program and household

permanent housing and increase

variations, trends in length of stay, and

self-sufficiency. Two working papers

factors affecting length of program

posted in 2018 provide (a) a systematic

participation. The typical household in

assisted housing stays for about 6 years,

30 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

but the average length of stay varies by

random assignment design. The four

household type. Elderly households stay

participating PHAs are the District

about 9 years, and nonelderly families

of Columbia Housing Authority,

with children stay about 4 years. The

Lexington Housing Authority, Louisville

average length of stay in assisted housing

Metropolitan Housing Authority, and

is generally increasing for most cohorts

San Antonio Housing Authority. This

of assisted households, influenced by

report provides a detailed explanation of

factors such as household characteristics

the alternative rent model, a description

and market conditions. This was a

of the demonstration implementation,

Multidisciplinary Research Team

and an outline of the preliminary

(MDRT) report.

baseline information and survey data

that have already been gathered from

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

the assisted families participating in

publications/length-of-stay.html.

the study. Future reports will assess the

impact of the alternative rent model

Reducing Work Disincentives in the

at 12 and 36 months after random

Housing Choice Voucher Program: Rent

Reform Demonstration Baseline Report

assignment on employment, earnings,

and hardship for the study sample and

on administrative efficiencies for the

PHA, provide a process evaluation of

the demonstration implementation, and

analyze the cost effectiveness of the new

rent policy compared to the existing rent

policy.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

publications/Reducing-Work-

Disincentives-Housing-Choice.html.

Section 811 Project Rental Assistance

Program – Phase I

The purpose of the Rent Reform

Demonstration is to test an alternative

to the current rent-setting system for

families using HCV. The goals of the

alternative rent-setting model now being

tested are to incentivize employment and

reduce the complexity and burden (and

thus, the cost) of administering the rent

policy while not causing unnecessary

hardship for HCV households. The

study team, PHAs, and HUD

collaboratively designed the alternative

rent model that is being tested at four

local Moving to Work (MTW) PHA

sites with 6,600 participating HCV

assisted households using a rigorous

The Frank Melville Supportive Housing

31 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Investment Act of 2010 introduced

Small Area Fair Market Rent Demonstration

significant reforms to the Section 811

supportive housing for nonelderly adults

with disabilities, including the new

Section 811 Project Rental Assistance

(PRA) Program and a mandated

evaluation of its implementation and

effectiveness. The Phase I report is an

implementation evaluation focused on

the initial 18 months (January 2015–

June 2016) of program implementation

by the first 12 grantees funded through

the FY 2012 grant competition. The

report provides an overall picture of how

the demonstration was implemented in

the initial states and analyzes differences

in program design, target population,

This groundbreaking report evaluates

and housing and service strategies.

the impact of implementing Small

The overarching research questions

Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) in

include an assessment of the following

seven PHAs in a variety of geographic

aspects of program implementation:

and market types. This report examines

partnerships between state housing and

whether and to what extent the shift

health and human services or Medicaid

from metropolitanwide Fair Market

agencies; property and unit selection

Rents (FMRs) to ZIP Code-based

strategies; target population outreach

SAFMRs provides better access to areas

and referral approaches; supportive

of higher opportunity for HCV families.

services availability; and major challenges

The report also examines how the use

and successes. Grantees spent much of

of SAFMRs affects HCV families and

the period covered by Phase I of the

landlords and the impact of SAFMRS on

evaluation solidifying partner roles

housing assistance payments (HAP) paid

and responsibilities and developing

by HUD and the tenant portion of rent

the systems and procedures needed to

paid by SAFMR families. This report

accommodate this new and complex

also reviews the PHA administrative

approach to providing affordable

procedures imposed and costs incurred

housing for people with disabilities. The

in implementing SAFMRs.

pace of attracting properties and units

to the program and leasing units has

The report contains major findings of

been slower than HUD and grantees

potential consequence for the HCV

expected for a variety of reasons, such

program—HUD’s largest subsidy

as tight housing market conditions

program. One such finding is that

(high-price and low-vacancy), difficulty

SAFMR families are more likely to live

aligning housing and services, program

in higher rent ZIP Codes and higher

requirements, and location mismatch.

opportunity areas than are HCV holders

using areawide FMRs. The increase

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/section-

in SAFMR families living in higher

811-process-evaluation.html.

opportunity areas is driven mainly by

those SAFMR families with children.

32 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Another, less positive finding was a

This Worst Case Housing Needs report

3.4-percent net loss of units potentially

is the 16th in a longstanding series

available to SAFMR families. The

providing national data and analysis of

variation in the number of units renting

the critical problems facing very low-

below the applicable FMR depends

income renting families. Households

on how the rent levels within a PHA’s

with worst case needs are defined as very

jurisdiction differ from rent levels within

low-income renters who do not receive

the broader metropolitan area where

government housing assistance and who

each individual PHA is located. This

paid more than one-half of their income

loss was attributed to one of the seven

for rent, lived in severely inadequate

PHAs in the evaluation that did not have

conditions, or both. The report draws on

enough higher rent units to compensate

data from the 2015 American Housing

for the loss of lower rent units. The

Survey (AHS), which debuted a major

study also showed a decrease in HAP

redesign that included a new national

payments in the SAFMR areas coupled

and metropolitan area longitudinal

with an increased contribution to rent by

sample. Findings of the report indicate

SAFMR families. This consequence was

that benefits of the strengthening

driven by HCV holders who remained

national economy are not adequately

in SAFMR areas that were below the

flowing to renter households at the

areawide FMR. As will be discussed later

lowest income levels, and severe housing

in this biennial report, this troubling

problems are on the rise.

result may be mitigated by the new

payment standard protections imposed

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

by the Housing Opportunity Through

publications/Worst-Case-Housing-

Modernization Act (HOTMA) and by

Needs.html.

provisions of the SAFMR Final Rule.

Assessment of American Indian and Alaska

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

Native Housing Needs

publications/SAFMR-Interim-Report.

html.

Housing Needs

Worst Case Housing Needs: 2017 Report to

Congress

The centerpiece of the assessment of

American Indian and Alaska Native

(AIAN) housing conditions is the

first-ever national survey of American

Indian and Alaska Native households

33 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

in tribal areas. This survey sampled

Community Development

1,340 AIAN households from 38

Strong Cities National Resource Network

tribal areas and achieved a response

(NRN) Evaluation

rate of 60 percent. The survey offers

information not available in existing

census data sources, including estimates

of electrical and heating problems,

physical conditions problems, and

the extent of “doubling up” among

AIAN households in tribal areas. The

report contextualizes data from the

household survey with information on

demographic, social, and economic

conditions and regional and historical

comparisons based on the 2000 and

2010 decennial censuses and the 2006–

2010 American Community Survey

(ACS). Analyses show that housing

conditions are substantially worse among

Initially funded with $10 million

AIAN households than among all U.S.

from HUD, the NRN provided direct

households, and overcrowding in tribal

technical assistance (TA) through five

areas is especially severe. Findings from

organizations: Enterprise Community

a survey of 110 tribally designated

Partners (lead organization); Public

housing entities, site visits to 22 tribal

Financial Management, Inc. (PFM);

areas, and data on housing production

HR&A Advisors; the International

before and after enactment of the

City County Management Association

Native American Housing Assistance

(ICMA); and the NYU Robert F.

and Self-Determination Act of 1996

Wagner School of Public Services.

(NAHASDA) show that tribes have

Generally, the quality of the TA delivered

produced and maintained low-income

was high and well received in the target

housing much more effectively since the

communities; however, the evaluation’s

passage of NAHASDA. Nominal dollars

overall assessment of the effectiveness

for the Indian Housing Block Grant have

of the program is inconclusive. The

not been increased since 1996, however,

evaluation was unable to determine

leading to a substantial decrease in

whether the TA was successful in

buying power. Limited funding is a key

addressing the overarching goal of the

constraint for many tribes, who could

NRN—to “provide the most distressed

increase their rate of housing production

U.S. cities with the capacity to address

if they had more funding.

their own underlying economic and fiscal

plight in a workable manner.” NRN TA

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

engagements were viewed as a success,

publications/HNAIHousingNeeds.html.

and local representatives indicated that

they thought their city would not have

been able to accomplish the same tasks

without the NRN assistance. In some

cases, respondents indicated that the

outcomes of those engagements will

34 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

take a long time to be apparent, and

from the U.S. Housing Act of 1937

some sites expressed concerns about the

Act that allow MTW innovations)?

sustainability of the changes due to issues

The evaluation, which is expected to be

with capacity and priority setting in their

completed in July 2019, will increase

community.

knowledge of selected MTW initiatives

in terms of broader applicability,

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/

costs and benefits, and positive and

publications/SC2-NRN-Evaluation-

negative effects on target populations,

Report.html.

clients, and communities and describe

the demonstration overall, including

Ongoing Research

documenting how housing assistance

Evaluation of the Section 811 Project

at MTW agencies has changed over

Rental Assistance (PRA) Program, Phase II

time, who is being served, at what level

of affordability, for how long, and at

The second phase of the evaluation will

what cost.

assess the effectiveness of the PRA rental

assistance model and the program’s

Evaluation of Cohort #1 of the Moving to

impact on participants, focusing on

Work Demonstration Program Expansion:

Understanding the Effects of Moving to

a subset of six states selected from

Work Flexibility for Small Public Housing

grantees in the first and second rounds

Agencies

of funding. The evaluation has three core

components: (1) an implementation

FY 2016 Appropriations language

analysis based on interviews with

directed HUD to expand the MTW

key program administrators; (2) a

Demonstration program by adding

descriptive analysis of the 29 grantees

100 PHAs to the program over a 7-year

and impact analysis of program effects

period. PHAs will be added to the MTW

on participants’ quality of life, housing,

program in cohorts, with each cohort

and health compared with two matched

subject to rigorous evaluation by HUD.

comparison groups; and (3) an economic

HUD PD&R awarded a contract to Abt

analysis to measure the costs of housing

Associates to conduct the evaluation

and supportive services provided by

of the first cohort of MTW expansion

the Section 811 PRA program, and to

PHAs. The first cohort of MTW

compare costs to benefits. The study will

expansion agencies will explore how

have a final report expected in 2019.

small PHAs use the flexibility offered by

their new MTW designation to achieve

Retrospective Evaluation of Moving to

the statutory objectives of the MTW

Work (MTW)

program and what the consequences of

that flexibility are for housing authority

This evaluation is guided by the

operations and tenants. The project

following questions: What can we learn

will also support the development of a

from already existing MTW initiatives

set of performance outcome measures

about how to deliver federal housing

using administrative data that will allow

assistance to achieve goals of cost

HUD to monitor the progress of MTW

efficiency, client self-sufficiency, and

agencies toward the statutory objectives

increasing housing choice? What are

of the program over time. The contract

the risks and opportunities inherent

will be in operation from September

in providing MTW flexibilities to

2018 through September 2023.

PHAs (i.e., the specific exceptions

35 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Evaluation of Cohort #2 of the Moving to

HUD and MDRC will work with PHAs

Work Demonstration Program Expansion:

to implement and test alternatives to the

Rent Reform Demonstration

standard income-based rent structure.

HUD PD&R has awarded a contract

These alternative rent policies could

to Manpower Demonstration Research

include stepped rents and tiered rents.

Corporation (MDRC) to conduct the

This study will examine how these rent

evaluation of the second cohort of MTW

policies affect outcomes, including PHA

expansion PHAs. For this evaluation,

administrative burden and the income of

assisted residents.

Moving to Work Expansion Team

The FY 2016 Appropriations Bill directed HUD to expand the MTW program by 100 agencies from its current 39 PHAs. Unlike the agencies in the existing program, the directive was to include mostly smaller PHAs and to have regional diversity. Most important for PD&R was that the expansion be done in support of rigorous research that tested new policies. To identify the policies and help define the research, the law called for HUD to create a Research Advisory Committee. Subsequent to this directive, Congress provided substantial resources to PD&R to conduct the rigorous research.

A team of seven PD&R staff and four PIH staff have worked together very closely to implement the recommendations of the MTW Research Advisory Committee on how to expand MTW in conjunction with rigorous research.

“In the last year, we have defined the four MTW cohorts to be studied in consultation with the MTW Research Advisory Committee; provided support to the program office in the creation of the Operations Notice with the general waivers and through the public comment period; scoped out the research and procured contractors for the evaluation of the first two cohorts; and supported the program office in the launch phase for the first cohort. We expect to see significant progress in 2019 as HUD selects the agencies to receive MTW designation under the first two expansion cohorts.”

—Anne Fletcher

MTW Expansion Rigorous Research Co-Team Lead, PD&R

Evaluation of the Supportive Services

and reduce unnecessary or avoidable

Demonstration: Integrated Wellness in

healthcare utilization associated with

Supportive Housing

high healthcare costs. IWISH consists

HUD’s Supportive Services

of a housing-based team of a full-time

Demonstration, also known as Integrated

Resident Wellness Director and a half-

Wellness in Supportive Housing

time Wellness Nurse, who will adopt a

(IWISH), is a 3-year demonstration to

standard and formal strategy to assess

test a model of housing and supportive

residents’ needs and coordinate health

services for HUD-assisted elderly

and social services. IWISH is being

residents. IWISH aims to promote

implemented in forty multifamily

aging in place and improve housing

housing sites across seven states.

stability, well-being, and health outcomes

36 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

HUD has designed a cluster-randomized

Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)

controlled trial (cRCT) to rigorously

Evaluation

evaluate IWISH. Eligible elderly-

restricted or elderly-designated

multifamily properties were randomly

assigned to a treatment group that

will implement the IWISH model or

to a control group that will continue

business-as-usual, which includes varying

degrees of ongoing service coordination.

The evaluation includes process and

impact studies. The process study will

assess fidelity to the IWISH model,

document successes and challenges to

implementation, and answer important

questions related to resident health, well-

being, and housing. The impact study

will link HUD and Medicare/Medicaid

The Rental Assistance Demonstration

claims data to measure the effects of

(RAD) is a central part of HUD’s

IWISH on healthcare utilization and

strategy to preserve and improve

housing stability. The evaluation will be

affordable rental housing. RAD is

completed in September 2021.

designed to provide stable public funding

to assisted housing projects, increase

Rent Reform Demonstration: Interim

the ability of those projects to access

Report

private capital, and enhance the long-

term viability of converted projects. In

The HUD Rent Reform Demonstration

September 2016, HUD published an

project is designed to test alternatives

interim report documenting the types

to a solely income-based rent structure.

of projects that participate in RAD and

Rent reform may affect assisted housing

associated activities, such as the reliance

residents in terms of the rents they pay

on various financing sources. The

and the amounts they earn and save, as

evaluation will also measure outcomes

well as the income stream to the housing

for RAD projects related to the physical

agency that administers the subsidy.

and financial condition of converted

The demonstration will be undertaken

projects and seek to compare those

at select Moving to Work (MTW) sites

outcomes to similar projects that do not

because those sites provide a natural

participate in RAD. Additionally, the

laboratory for experimentation and

final report will document the impact

observation of rent reform strategies. The

RAD has on residents. A final report will

research team and MTW sites will work

be released by the summer of 2019.

with HUD to decide on an intervention

that can be implemented at all sites in

substantially the same manner.

37 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

Multidisciplinary Research Team (MDRT)

in low-poverty neighborhoods. Recent

Continuing Research

Moving to Opportunity (MTO)

studies show the positive long-term

As noted previously, MDRT is a single

effects of the program on the children

contract that PD&R tasks for fast-

of those participants who moved to

turnaround research. The following

low-poverty neighborhoods (Chetty,

are fast-turnaround projects currently

Hendren, and Katz, 20164). However,

underway:

there are barriers for HCV families

to finding housing in low-poverty

neighborhoods, sometimes due to

resistance from landlords to participate

in the HCV program. Common

barriers cited by property managers

and landlords include programmatic,

regulatory, and administrative

concerns, such as late payments, delays

in leasing to tenants due to timing of

inspections, and a general frustration

with the bureaucratic aspects of

participating in the HCV program

(Edin, DeLuca, and Owens, 2012).5

The purpose of this study is to produce

an informative report that describes

promising ways to increase landlord

• Landlord Participation Study. To

participation in the HCV program,

increase the availability of quality

especially in these low-poverty/high-

affordable rental housing, HUD is

opportunity neighborhoods.

examining innovative strategies used

• Economic Opportunity Metric for

by various PHAs to increase the

HUD-Assisted Renters Study. HUD

participation of landlords in the HCV

is interested in evaluating metrics used

program in low- (or lower) poverty

in assessing the status of and progress

neighborhoods. Specifically, HUD is

in achieving economic opportunity,

considering options under its Moving

self-sufficiency, and financial stability

to Work (MTW) expansion that

for work-able individuals receiving

would increase PHAs’ flexibility to use

various housing benefits. The need for

innovative local strategies to incentivize

this research is derived from HUD’s

landlord participation in low-poverty

Strategic Plan 2018–2022, which

neighborhoods. Expanding housing

outlines the Agency Priority Goal

mobility not only helps PHAs meet

(APG) of “[promoting] economic

their obligation to Affirmatively

opportunity for HUD-assisted

Furthering Fair Housing (HUD

residents by encouraging self-

Office of Policy Development and

sufficiency and financial stability, as

Research [PD&R], n.d.) but may also

measured by increasing the proportion

contribute to positive outcomes for

of households who exit HUD-assisted

residents who have access to housing

housing for positive reasons” (p. 8). At

4 Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hendren, and Lawrence F. Katz. 2016. “The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children: New Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment,” American Economic Review 106 (4): 855–902. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.20150572.

5 Kathryn Edin, Stefanie DeLuca, and Ann Owens. 2012. “Constrained Compliance: Solving the Puzzle of MTO’s Lease-Up Rates and Why Mobility Matters,” Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 14 (2): 163–

178. https://huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol14num2/Cityscape_July2012_constrained_compliance.pdf.

38 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

present, HUD does not consistently

(AHAR, 2017). The emergence and

collect data on the reasons program

persistence of homelessness has been

participants exit HUD programs. The

noted specifically in large rental markets

analysis of such data can shed light on

in the West with low vacancy rates, high

the extent to which HUD programs

and rising rents, and low construction

provide program participants and their

of new housing, including Los Angeles,

families a path to self-sufficiency and

San Diego, Portland, and Oakland. On

financial stability. HUD is actively

seeking to improve the economic

the other hand, rental burdens are lower

opportunities of program participants

in some cities with similar conditions

by supporting local services that

(such as Seattle and the San Francisco

improve education and training,

Bay area), perhaps because of their

workforce development, and financial

expanding employment and income

literacy. The Strategic Plan outlines

opportunities. Greater knowledge of

three tracking indicators to measure

these topics requires further research on

success toward meeting this APG of

the complex ways in which conditions

individuals and households exiting

in local housing and labor markets,

the program from a financially stable

the population demographic, and local

position.

policies affect levels of homelessness.

• Homeless Predictor Study. More

than 500,000 people in communities

• Fair Market Rent (FMR) Study.

across the United States experience

Currently, HUD calculates FMRs

homelessness each year, and the

using the latest data on gross rents

homeless population increased from

paid captured by the Census Bureau

2016 to 2017 (AHAR, 2017).6

through the ACS, augmented by the

Minimizing the incidence and

change in gross rents as measured

duration of homelessness involves

through the Consumer Price Index

understanding the factors that are

(CPI). One of the last steps of

associated with homelessness. The U.S.

calculating FMRs is to inflate estimates

Department of Housing and Urban

using a trend factor based on the

Development (HUD) is interested

forecast of gross rent changes through

in evaluating these factors. The need

the applicable fiscal year. For example,

for such research stems from HUD’s

estimates from the 2016 ACS, and

Strategic Plan 2018–2022, which

inflated to 2017 by the CPI would

presents the Agency Priority Goal

need to be trended forward to the

of reducing the “average length of

3rd quarter of 2019, to represent

homelessness in communities by an

FMRs for FY 2019. HUD applies a

average of 3 days by FY 2019” (p. 8).

national estimate of the trend factor

A greater understanding of how

to all geographic areas. Because local

local and market conditions affect

rents may trend at different rates

compared to the nation, some local

homelessness is critical to developing

areas are assigned a trend factor that

and implementing strategies and

significantly over- or underestimate

policies to effectively address the issue

their FMRs. This problem is a result

of increasing homelessness. Recent

of the temporal mismatch between

increases in homelessness have been

available data and the need for current,

attributed to increases in homelessness

local FMRs; Therefore, the goal of

in the 50 largest metropolitan areas

this research is to explore and provide

6 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 2018. The 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Washington, DC: HUD. https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2017-

AHAR-Part-2.pdf.

39 

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a set of alternative methodologies for

Research Partnerships Continuing

calculating local trend factors, analyze

Research

the strengths and weaknesses of each,

and recommend a methodology that

As noted previously, research

is more in line with current local

partnerships represent a funding

market conditions and can improve

partnership in which researchers outside

accuracy of trend forecasting for FMR

HUD can propose projects that PD&R

calculations. In keeping with this

may fund if they fall within HUD’s

objective, this research addresses two

mission and HUD staff agree with the

central questions:

need for the research, have 50 percent

1. Can forecasting gross rents locally

or more in matching funds, and have

to derive a local trend factor—using

adequate rigor to have a reasonable

a similar model as that used in

chance of answering the research

forecasting gross rents nationally—

question. Ongoing research partnership

provide more accurate FMRs than

projects7 and the partner for each are

forecasting gross rents nationally?

listed in the following table.

2. Are there approaches, other than

forecasting gross rents, that derive

a local trend factor that results in a

more accurate FMR calculation?

Project

Partner

Housing Tenure, Disaster, Damage and Housing

Turnover: An Analysis of the New Orleans American Brown University Housing Survey 2004–2009

Housing Outcomes, Tenant Satisfaction, and

Community Integration in Single-site and Scattered- DePaul University site Housing First Models: A Randomized Trial

Expanding Equity and Inclusion in Urban

Development Through Transatlantic Exchange—

German Marshall Fund of the USA

Resilient and Inclusive Communities

Housing and Children’s Health Study

Johns Hopkins University

Moving to Opportunity: Platform to Improve Health Johns Hopkins University Aging Gracefully in Place: An Evaluation of the

Capability of the CAPABLE Approach

National Center for Healthy Housing

To Conduct an Independent Study of Savings

National Institute of Building

Associated with Public and Private Mitigation

Sciences

Evaluation of Tacoma Housing Authority’s College

Housing Assistance Program

Temple University

Rental Payment Data: Improving Renters’ Financial

The Policy & Economic Research

Security Through Credit Reporting Payment Data

Council (PERC)

HUD-Assisted Residents with Disabilities

University of New Hampshire

7 Completed research partnership studies that PD&R has not published but may be available from the researchers are an Evaluation of Innovative Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Programs Administered by the Nonprofit Compass Working Capital in Partnership with Massachusetts Public Housing Authorities, conducted by Abt Associates; The Housing Opportunity and Services Together (HOST) Demonstration II, conducted by the Urban Institute; and Understanding the Market for Reverse Mortgages, by the University of Texas at San Antonio.

40 

PD&R Biennial Report 

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Project

Partner

Evaluating the Impact of a Work Requirement in

University of North Carolina at

Public Housing

Chapel Hill

Washington, D.C.’s Flexible Rent Subsidy Pilot

Program

Urban Institute

Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE) Building:

Monitoring the Energy Efficiency and Thermal

West Virginia University

Comfort

Continuing Research under the HUDRD

vehicle when HUD has a good sense of

Research NOFA

the research question but not how to best

answer it. In those situations, PD&R

The Research and Evaluation,

provides a lot of flexibility to the research

Demonstrations, and Data Analysis

teams selected to conduct the research.

and Utilization program (referred to

Ongoing projects funded under the

as “HUDRD”) Notice of Funding

HUDRD Research NOFA are listed in

Availability (NOFA) is used as a funding

the following table:

Title

Research Awardee

The Social and Economic Impacts of the CDBG

Program

The University of Idaho

The Social and Economic Impacts of the CDBG

Program

Woodstock Institute

Understanding Child Trajectories in HUD-Assisted

University of North Carolina at

Housing

Chapel Hill

Affordable, Accessible Housing Solutions for Aging in

Place and People with Disabilities

Auburn University

Prototype Testing and Evaluation of Accessible Design

Retrofit for Semi-Detached and Non-Detached Houses Home Innovations Research Labs The Re-Purpose Project

University of Florida

Technical Assistance Assessment

Urban Institute

Improving the Speed of Housing Recovery Program

Launch After a Severe Disaster

Urban Institute

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PD&R’s Outreach and

Dissemination

PD&R continues to improve the way Internally, one of the ways PD&R

it disseminates research and reaches

meets these goals is by operating the

out to its stakeholders. Over the past

HUD Library. The HUD Library

2 years, PD&R has greatly expanded

facilitates research and analysis for all

outreach and dissemination efforts with

the Department. It assists members of

an eye toward achieving four goals: (1)

HUD staff in developing thorough, well-

sharing information, research findings,

informed policies that improve the quality

and best practices; (2) translating

of life for every American. The HUD

housing policy and research to improve

Library provides access to electronic and

practice; (3) increasing the availability

print research materials to help employees

of high-quality research on issues of

further the mission of HUD.

housing and community developments;

and (4) ensuring that stakeholders have

quick access to information on a variety

of platforms.

“The HUD Library serves as PD&R’s research library and is available to the entire Department. The library provides electronic and print research materials and reference services. It also maintains historic federal housing records. Thus far, the HUD Library has digitized over 300 historic records and made them available to HUD researchers via www.HUDUser.gov. The library is staffed by a full-time librarian and contracted support staff. The staff continues to upgrade the library’s collections by subscribing to housing journals and adding hundreds of new print titles to its collection each year.”

—Eric Erickson

HUD Librarian

Externally, PD&R meets its outreach

At the core of PD&R’s dissemination

and dissemination goals through

work is HUDUser.gov, through which

HUDUser.gov, PD&R mobile and

all PD&R’s research and communication

social media, convenings, periodicals,

flow. HUDUser.gov is updated regularly

and awards.

with the latest publication and data

releases.

HUDUser Usage FY 2017–2018

FY 2017

FY 2018

Total Number of Downloads

14,500,000

14,500,000

Average Downloads per Month

1,203,898

1,210,469

Number of Visits per Month

657,299

671,197

Orders Processed

787

679

Publications Disseminated

88,361

72,353

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FY 2017-2018

PD&R has a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. In FY 2018, HUDUser had 4,736 Facebook “likes” and 6,896 Twitter followers.

PD&R Sponsored Events

In 2017 and 2018, PD&R hosted three

• A New Era of Homeownership—June

events that were open to the public

1, 2017

and that highlighted PD&R’s research

• Quarterly Update: Regulatory Barriers

and data. The events also provided an

and Affordable Housing—June 21,

opportunity for a conversation between

2018

researchers, practitioners, and policy

• Quarterly Update: Landlord

leaders on an important policy topic.

Participation in the HCV Program—

The three events in 2017 and 2018 were

September 20, 2018

the following:

• To make the events even more

accessible, the events were webcast live,

then archived and made available for

viewing later on HUDUser.gov.

Dissemination to Housing and Community Development

Professionals Through Conferences

Housing and community development

had an exhibit at 23 of these conferences,

professionals are members of several

highlighting the research and data

associations. It is at events held by those

available from HUDUser.

associations that many folks become

aware of the research and data produced

The following table lists conferences

by PD&R. In 2017 and 2018, PD&R

at which HUDUser exhibited in FY

2017–2018:

Event

Date

Location

2016 National Association of Housing and

Redevelopment Officials:

October 14–16, 2016

New Orleans, LA

Conference & Exhibition

2016 National League of Cities: City

November 16–19,

Summit

2016

Pittsburgh, PA

2016 Housing Assistance Council: Rural

November 29–

Housing Conference

December 2, 2016

Washington, DC

2016 How Housing Matters: Conference

December 13, 2016

Washington, DC

2017 Allied Social Science Association:

Annual Meeting

January 6–8, 2017

Chicago, IL

2017 National Low Income Housing

Coalition: Policy Forum

April 2–4, 2017

Washington, DC

2017 Urban Land Institute: Washington

Real Estate Trends Conference

April 25, 2017

Washington, DC

2017 Affordable Housing Conference of

Montgomery County, Maryland: Annual

May 5, 2017

North Bethesda,

Summit

MD

(continued on next page)

43 

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(continued from previous page)

Event

Date

Location

2017 American Planning Association:

National Planning Conference

May 6–9, 2017

New York City, NY

2017 National Alliance to End

Homelessness: National Conference on

July 17–19, 2017

Washington, DC

Ending Homelessness

2017 National Association of Counties:

Annual Conference and Exposition

July 21–24, 2017

Columbus, OH

2017 International City/County Managers

Association: Annual Conference

October 22–24, 2017

San Antonio, TX

2017 National Association of Housing and

Redevelopment Officials:

October 27–28, 2017

Pittsburgh, PA

Conference & Exhibition

2017 National League of Cities:

November 15–18,

City Summit

2017

Charlotte, NC

2017 National Housing Conference:

Policy Convening:

November 29, 2017

Washington, DC

Solutions for Affordable Housing

2018 Allied Social Science Association:

Annual Meeting

January 4–6, 2018

Philadelphia, PA

2018 National Alliance to End

Homelessness:

National Conference on Ending Youth and March 1–2, 2018

Los Angeles, CA

Family Homelessness

2018 National Low Income Housing

Coalition: Policy Forum

March 19–21, 2018

Washington, DC

2018 Urban Land Institute: Washington

Real Estate Trends Conference

April 17, 2018

Washington, DC

2018 American Planning Association:

National Planning Conference

April 22–24, 2018

New Orleans, LA

2018 Affordable Housing Conference of

Montgomery County, Maryland: Annual

May 11, 2018

North Bethesda,

Summit

MD

2018 National Association of Counties:

Annual Conference and Exposition

July 13–15, 2018

Nashville, TN

2018 National Alliance to End

Homelessness: National Conference on

July 23–25, 2018

Washington, DC

Ending Homelessness

Periodicals

PD&R produces several periodicals as

PD&R leadership, and a wide range of

part of its outreach efforts to different

information about housing and

audiences.

community development issues, research,

and best practices. In 2018, The Edge

The Edge. The Edge is

had approximately 92,000 viewers per

PD&R’s biweekly online

month.

magazine which provides

news, a message from

44 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

The Edge: Most Viewed Articles, FY 2017–2018

Article Title

Date Posted

Rent-to-Own Program Rehabilitates Abandoned and Foreclosed

Properties

Oct. 20, 2014

Rental Burdens: Rethinking Affordability Measures

Sep. 22, 2014

Permanent Supportive Housing for Women Recovering from

Substance Abuse in Charleston, West Virginia

Sep. 10, 2018

Designing Better Supportive Housing

Sep. 24, 2018

Connecting Housing and Health

Sep. 24, 2018

Defining Housing Affordability

Aug. 14, 2017

Bridge Meadows Beaverton Provides a Supportive Community for Foster Families and Seniors

Sep. 24, 2018

Designing Affordable and Equitable Housing

Aug. 13, 2018

What Happens to Low Income Housing Tax Credit Properties After Affordability Requirements Expire?

Aug. 17, 2012

Regulatory Barriers and Affordable Housing Quarterly Update

July 23, 2018

Evidence Matters. Evidence Matters is

Spring 2018: Regulatory Barriers and

designed to highlight topics that connect

Affordable Housing

policymakers at all levels, as well as

• Feature: Regulatory Barriers and

researchers, advocates, and industry

Affordable Housing: Problems and

members, with clear, accessible, and

Solutions

timely information. Since it was first

• Research Spotlight: Exploring the

published in 2011, Evidence Matters

Current State of Knowledge on the

has been released 23 times, and the

Impact of Regulations on Housing

subscriber base is more than 25,000 in

Supply

addition to those that read it online. The

• In Practice: States Reduce Regulatory

following issues of Evidence Matters were

Barriers for Affordable Housing

published during FY 2017–18:

Summer/Fall 2018: Housing and

Employment

Spring 2017: Building Technology

• Feature: Housing Assistance,

• Feature: Leveraging Building

Employment, and Self -Sufficiency

Innovations for Housing Affordability

• Research Spotlight: Jobs Plus: Self-

• Research Spotlight: Combining Energy

Sufficiency in Public Housing

Efficiency and Disaster Mitigation

• In Practice: Programs Integrate

Efforts in Residential Properties

Workforce and Housing Service

• In Practice: Retrofits Improve

Affordability and Resilience

Summer 2017: Housing for Seniors

• Feature: Housing for Seniors:

Challenges and Solutions

• In Practice: Communities Support

Seniors with Aging-Friendly Policies

• Commentary: Housing Challenges of

Rural Seniors

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“Evidence Matters provides PD&R with a space for commentary on current land use issues and policies and housing issues. In its seventh year, topics continue to be varied and vital to the land use and housing community.”

—Rachelle Levitt

Director, Research Utilization Division and Editor of Evidence Matters

• Selected Outcomes of Housing

Assistance, edited by Meena Bavan and

David Hardiman

• The Housing-Health Connection,

edited by Veronica Helms Garrison

and Craig Pollack

In addition to the Symposium articles,

each issue includes these components:

• The Point of Contention, a high-level

debate on areas in which scholars do

not agree;

• Refereed research papers submitted to

Cityscape. Cityscape is a

Cityscape; and

multidisciplinary scholarly journal that

• Departments, which contain short

PD&R publishes three times a year to

papers to help scholars and new

advance the state of knowledge, policy,

students explore the areas of HUD’s

and practice in the areas of HUD’s

mission in the following areas:

mission. Each issue includes at least one

- Impact, which details and explains

Symposium of scholarly papers on a

the benefit and cost calculations for

common theme. Each Symposium has a

new HUD regulations;

guest editor. In FY 2017 and 2018, the

topics covered and the guest editors of

- Policy Briefs summarize a change

or trend in national policy that

Cityscape Symposia were the following:

may have escaped the attention of

researchers;

• Gentrification, edited by Ingrid Gould

Ellen and Lei Ding

- Graphic Detail, which illustrates

the power of maps to inform public

• Home Equity Conversion Mortgages,

policy and social science;

edited by William Reid

- Foreign Exchange, which describes

• Transforming Communities, edited

policy innovations in housing

by William Lambe, Theresa Singleton,

and urban development in other

and Susan Wachter

countries that may be of interest to

• Habitat III, edited by Katrina Durbak

U.S. readers;

• The Community Revitalization Act,

- Industrial Revolution, which

edited by Carolina Reid

illustrates the potential of

• Planning Livable Communities, edited

technological innovation in

by Denise Fairchild and Patrick Revord

residential construction to affect

society;

• The Family Options Study, edited by

Anne Fletcher and Michelle Wood

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

- Spatial Analysis and Methods

The Cityscape Advisory Board is

(SpAM), which takes the reader step

comprised of Richard Green, University

by step through pioneer techniques

of Southern California; Carolina

in the analysis of geographic

K. Reid, University of California,

information;

Berkeley; Dolores Acevedo Garcia,

- Evaluation Tradecraft, which shares

Brandeis University; Ira Goldstein, The

innovations in the techniques of

Reinvestment Fund; Jens O. Ludwig,

program evaluation;

University of Chicago; Mark Joseph,

- Affordable Design, which describes

Case Western University; Mary E.

the winning entries in HUD-

Pattillo, Northwestern University;

sponsored design competitions; and

Patrick T. Sharkey, New York University;

- Data Shop, which introduces the

Ted Koebel, Virginia Polytechnic

reader to new datasets and new

Institute; and Matthew Kahn, University

procedures for using the data in

of California Los Angeles.

familiar sources.

Awards

Innovation in Affordable Housing

to five graduate students work to

Student Design and Planning

solve problems and craft solutions in

Competition

response to a project encountered by

The fourth and fifth years of the

a public housing authority. A jury of

annual Innovation in Affordable

five academics, practitioners, planners,

Housing (IAH) Student Design and

and architects narrow the field to four

Planning Competition were held. The

finalists. The finalists are invited to the

competition encourages innovation in

project site, walk the grounds, and hear

affordable housing and raises future

from the community. The competition

practitioner capacity while fostering

culminates in a final presentation at

teamwork across disciplines—design,

HUD Headquarters in early April. The

finance, public policy, and planning,

jury hears each team’s final presentation

for example. It also raises awareness

and asks questions before it leaves for

of affordable housing at the graduate

deliberation.

level. Interdisciplinary teams of three

47 

PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

In FY 2017, the project was Woodhill

for seniors and persons with disabilities

Homes, a 478-unit multifamily property

goes beyond the physical structure to the

in Cleveland, Ohio that is owned and

creation of a neighborhood and access to

operated by the Cuyahoga Metropolitan

a wide range of supportive services.

Housing Authority (CMHA). The

winner was Rutgers University, which

The first-place team, from the University

received $20,000, and the runner-up

of Maryland, College Park, received

was the University of Michigan, which

$20,000; and the second-place team,

received $10,000. The remaining two

from the University of Colorado Denver, finalist teams were Yale University and

received $10,000. The remaining two

a joint team from New York University/

finalists, from the University of Texas at

Columbia University.

Austin and Pratt Institute, each received

$5,000.

In 2018, HUD PD&R partnered with

Whittier Falls, the Dover Housing

Moving to Opportunity

Authority in New Hampshire. Whittier

Demonstration (MTO) and Family

Falls plans to construct 154 new

Options Study Data Competition

dwellings for seniors and persons with

Last fall, HUD announced a second

disabilities, to be built between two

competition to support access to the data existing Whittier Falls projects, both

from two of HUD’s most important

of which serve a similar population.

randomized social experiments, the

The competition focused on strong

MTO demonstration and the Family

community services, challenging

Options Study. HUD has partnered

students to design and apply innovative

with the U.S. Census Bureau to make

development strategies and innovative

the experimental data more available to

community engagement strategies

qualified researchers and more readily

emphasizing social needs and

matched with additional administrative

connectivity. This aspect of the project

data. Proposal review for winning

cannot be overstated, as quality of life

selection began in December 2018.

“It is a great joy to see the high caliber work of the teams who compete. We hope this competition will help seed the next generation of affordable housing innovators.”

—Regina Gray

Team Lead on the Student Design Competition, PD&R

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

HUD Secretary’s Awards

The HUD Secretary’s awards, managed by PD&R, honor projects that exemplify excellence in four categories: community planning, historic preservation, affordable design, and cooperative public efforts. HUD presents the awards in partnership with several leading housing and community development organizations.

ACHP/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), recognizes developers, organizations, and agencies for their success in advancing the goals of historic preservation while providing affordable housing or expanded economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

Until 2015, the HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation was presented in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

2017 Winner: East Baltimore Historic II, Baltimore, Maryland 2018 Winner: Rosenwald Courts Apartments, Chicago, Illinois American Institute of Architects—Housing and Community Design Awards 2017/2018

Excellence in Affordable Housing Design Award

This award recognizes architecture that demonstrates overall excellence in terms of design in response to both the needs and the constraints of affordable housing.

2017 Winner: Monteverde Senior Apartments, Orinda, California 2018 Winner: Five 88, San Francisco, California

Housing Accessibility—Alan J. Rothman Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize exemplary projects that demonstrate excellence in improving housing accessibility for people with disabilities.

2018 Winner: Station 162 Apartments, Portland, Oregon Creating Community Connection Award

This award recognizes projects that incorporate housing within other community amenities for either revitalization or planned growth.

2017 Winner: Plaza Roberto Maestas, Seattle, Washington Community-Informed Design Award

The Community-Informed Design award recognizes design that supports physical communities as they rebuild inner-city social structures and relationships that may have been weakened by outmigration, disinvestment, and the isolation of inner-city areas.

2017 Winner: Flance Early Learning Center, St. Louis, Missouri 49 

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FY 2017-2018

American Planning Association—Opportunity and Empowerment The HUD Secretary’s Opportunity & Empowerment Award honors excellence in community planning that has led to measurable benefits in increased economic development, employment, education, or housing choice and mobility for low- and moderate-income residents. The award stresses tangible results and recognizes the planning discipline as an important community resource. It emphasizes how creative housing, economic development, and private investments are used in—or in tandem with—a comprehensive community development plan.

2018 Winner: Westlawn Gardens, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships—Housing and Community Development in Action

The Secretary’s Awards for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships recognize excellence in partnerships that have both transformed the relationships between the sectors and led to measurable benefits in housing and community development, including increased economic development, health, safety, education, workforce development, disaster resilience, inclusivity and cultural opportunities, innovative regional approaches, or housing access for low- and moderate-income families.

2017 Winners:

• The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation/

• The Kresge Foundation

Zarrow Families Foundation

• The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles

• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

• Capital One Foundation

• Nusenda Foundation

• Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

• The Skillman Foundation

• The JPMorgan Chase Foundation

2018 Winners:

• Anthem Foundation

• Rasmuson Foundation

• Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation

• Michael Reese Health Trust (MHRT) and Polk

Bros. Foundation (PBF)

• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

• The Spartanburg County Foundation

• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

• The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

• Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation

and the Leonard & Helen R. Stulman

• U.S. Endowment for Forestry and

Foundation

Communities

Excellence in Public-Philanthropic Partnerships Exchange: The Exchange brings together all the former winners (foundations and their government partners) of the Secretary’s Awards for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships in a community of practice. It is a partnership between HUD and the Council on Foundations.

50 

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International and

Philanthropic Engagement

PD&R also focuses on information

Mission to the United Nations

sharing on housing and community

Economic Commission for Europe

development issues with other nations

(UNECE).

and with the philanthropic community.

• Hosting foreign delegations to discuss

housing and community development

Notable international engagements in

issues, including delegations from

2017 and 2018 included the following:

Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, China,

Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Saudi

• Sharing best practices with other

Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

members of the Organization

• Supporting research to measure

for Economic Co-operation and

outcomes of the German Marshall

Development (OECD).

Fund of the United States (GMF)

• Providing liaison and support on issues

Dialogue for Change Program, which

on housing and urban development

has six cities participating: Baltimore,

the U.S. Mission at the United

MD; Charlotte, NC; Pittsburgh, PA;

Nations.

and Bottrop, Karlsruhe, and Leipzig,

Germany. City planners from each city

• Serving as subject matter expert for

participate in workshops held every six

the United Nations Habitat, including

months (in the United States, then in

supporting U.S. participation in the

Germany).

2018 World Urban Forum in Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia.

• Supporting a Memorandum of

Cooperation between Japan and the

• Supporting information and research

United States to share best practices

exchanges with the United States

and research on aging in place.

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PD&R Biennial Report 

FY 2017-2018

• Supporting a Memorandum of

potential of partnerships. More than

Cooperation between Israel and the

200 HUD employees have attended

United States in association with the

the workshops.

Israel Joint Economic Development

• HUD and AARP signed a

Group (JEDG) annual economic

Memorandum of Understanding

policy dialogue between the two

(MOU) in 2018 to share best practices

countries.

on Aging in Place.

The following were philanthropic

• PD&R staff provided continued

engagements in 2017 and 2018:

support for a Pay for Success

demonstration to test the effectiveness

• PD&R staff provided a philanthropic

and financial feasibility of the

toolkit and training workshops for

permanent supportive housing model.

HUD field office staff to train them

PD&R staff also co-chair the Pay

on how to develop robust partnerships

for Success Interagency Learning

between HUD and foundations.

Network, a structure for federal

These workshops empower HUD

agency staff to share information and

staff to work with foundations in

collaborate on PFS.

their communities to maximize the

EnVision Centers

EnVision Centers’ goal is to reform government services and expand opportunities for more Americans to become self-sufficient. The EnVision Center demonstration will offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency, thereby making scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance.

The premise of the EnVision Centers demonstration is that financial support alone is insufficient to solve the problem of poverty. Intentional and collective efforts across a diverse set of organizations are needed to implement a holistic approach to foster long-lasting self-sufficiency. EnVision Centers will provide communities with a centralized hub for support in the following four pillars: (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership. The Economic Empowerment pillar is designed to improve the economic sustainability of individuals residing in HUD-assisted housing by empowering them with opportunities to improve their economic outlook. The Education pillar seeks to bring educational opportunities directly to HUD-assisted housing and includes partnering with public and private organizations that approach education in nontraditional ways on nontraditional platforms. The Health and Wellness pillar is designed to improve access to health outcomes by individuals and families living in HUD-assisted housing. The Character and Leadership pillar is designed to enable all individuals and families residing in HUD-assisted housing—especially young people—to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens by encouraging participation in volunteering and mentoring opportunities.

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Looking Ahead

As evidenced by the work featured in the elderly and disabled, and housing this report and plans taking shape for

insecurity.

the next 2 years, this is an exciting time

• Be on the lookout for the following

for HUD and for PD&R. Here are a few

studies that will be published in 2019:

highlights of what’s ahead:

- Evaluation of the Section 811

Project Rental Assistance Program

• The next Research Roadmap planning

- Retrospective Evaluation of Moving

and stakeholder engagement process

to Work

will launch in 2019.

- Rent Reform Demonstration:

• Evidence Matters, Cityscape, and

Interim Report

The Edge will continue to feature

issues that are timely and relevant

- Rental Assistance Demonstration

for practitioners and researchers.

- MDRT Landlord Participation

• The Student Design Competition will

Study

continue—and keep an eye out for new

- MDRT Economic Opportunity

prize competitions in 2019 and 2020.

Metric for HUD-Assisted Renters

• We expect to increase our investment

- MDRT Homeless Predictor Study

in building technology research.

- MDRT Fair Market Rent Study

• The new Office of Innovation will

launch in PD&R and focus on

PD&R will continue to host thought-

transferring the research and data

provoking convenings and ensure that

knowledge to implementing new

HUDUser.gov remains a go-to resource

initiatives, such as EnVision Centers.

for research, data, and best practices.

• The Rental Housing Finance Survey

2018 data will be released, as will

Finally, expect an exciting pipeline of

the American Housing Survey 2019

new research, data, demonstrations,

data, with topical modules on food

policy translation, and outreach designed

insecurity, secondary education

to serve our mission of improving life in

enrollment, housing accessibility for

American communities.

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Appendix: Publications

and Datasets

During the past 2 years, PD&R has released 56 reports and 32 datasets. All reports and datasets listed can be accessed through HUDUser.gov.

Note: This list does not include historical reports posted on HUDUser.gov during this timeframe.

Andersson, Fredrik, John C. Haltiwanger, Mark J. Kutzbach, Giordano Palloni, Henry O.

Pollakowski, and Daniel H. Weinberg. October 2016. Childhood Housing and Adult Earnings: A Between-Siblings Analysis of Housing Vouchers and Public Housing.

Aron, Laudan, Claudia Aranda, Douglas Wissoker, Brent Howell, Robert Santos, Molly Scott, Margery Austin Turner, and Urban Institute. December 2016. Discrimination Against Families with Children in Rental Housing Markets: Findings of the Pilot Study.

Bowen, Thomas, and University of Colorado Boulder. May 2017. A Best Practices Manual for Using Compressed Earth Blocks in Sustainable Home Construction in Indian Country.

Carter, III, George R. and Brian Shaffer. August 2017. Utility Cost Estimation Model Development and Decisions for the 2015 American Housing Survey and Beyond.

Corey, Kristen, Jennifer Biess, Nancy Pindus, and Doray Sitko. May 2017. Housing Needs of Native Hawaiians: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.

Coulbourne Consulting. October 2017. Residential Structural Design Guide—Second Edition.

Cunningham, Mary K., Martha Galvez, Claudia L. Aranda, Robert Santos, Doug Wissoker, Alyse Oneto, Rob Pitingolo, James Crawford, and Urban Institute. August 2018.

A Pilot Study of Landlord Acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers: Executive Summary.

———. September 2018. A Pilot Study of Landlord Acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers.

Dawkins, Casey J., Jae Sik Jeon, and University of Maryland. October 2017. Rent Burden in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

DeMarco, Donna, Nichole Fiore, Shawn Moulton, Debbie Gruenstein Bocian, Laura Peck, Sarah Ballinger, Karen Cuenca, Louise Rothschild, Stephen Whitlow, and Abt Associates, Inc. January 2017. The First-Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling Demonstration: Baseline Report.

Early, Michael J., Michael D. Blanford, Will R. Zachmann, and Barry L. Steffen. June 2017.

Energy Performance Contracting in HUD’s Public Housing Stock: A Brief Overview.

Eggers, Frederick J., and Econometrica, Inc. December 2017a. Characteristics of HUD-Assisted Renters and Their Units in 2009.

———. December 2017b. Characteristics of HUD-Assisted Renters and Their Units in 2011.

———. July 2017. Characteristics of HUD-Assisted Renters and Their Units in 2013.

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Finkel, Meryl, Samuel Dastrup, Kimberly Burnett, Thyria Alvarez, Carissa Climaco, and Tanya de Sousa. August 2017. Small Area Fair Market Rent Demonstration Evaluation: Interim Report.

Gubits, Daniel, Marybeth Shinn, Michelle Wood, Stephen Bell, Samuel Dastrup, Claudia D.

Solari, Scott R. Brown, Debi Mclnnis, Tom McCall, Utsav Kattel, Abt Associates, Inc., and Vanderbilt University. October 2016. Family Options Study: 3-Year Impacts of Housing and Services Interventions for Homeless Families.

Hammel, Joy, Janet Smith, University of Illinois at Chicago, Susan Scovill, Consultant, Ron Campbell, and M. Davis and Company, Inc., Rui Duan, and HDR, Inc. August 2017. Rental Housing Discrimination on the Basis of Mental Disabilities: Results of Pilot Testing.

Hedrick, James, Lee Higgins, Richard Hilton, Doray Sitko, and Econometrica, Inc. January 2017. Evaluation of the Rural Innovation Fund.

Helms, Veronica E., Jon Sperling, and Barry L. Steffen. March 2017. A Health Picture of HUD-Assisted Adults, 2006–2012.

Helms, Veronica E., Barry L. Steffen, Elizabeth C. Rudd, and Jon Sperling. March 2018.

A Health Picture of HUD-Assisted Children, 2006–2012.

ICF International. December 2017. Improper Payment for Quality Control for Rental Subsidy Determination Study: FY 2015 Final Report.

Insight Policy Research. May 2018. ConnectHome Initiative: Final Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Krysan, Maria, Kyle Crowder, Molly M. Scott, Carl Hedman, Sade Adeeyo, Somala Diby, and Sierra Latham. May 2018. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Housing Search: Final Report.

Levy, Diane K., Jennifer Biess, Abby Baum, Nancy Pindus, and Brittany Murray. January 2017. Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Urban Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.

Listokin, David, Kenneth Temkin, Nancy Pindus, David Stanek, and Urban Institute. January 2017. Mortgage Lending on Tribal Land: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.

Lloyd, Patricia C., Veronica E. Helms, Alan E. Simon, Cordell Golden, James Brittain, Eileen Call, Lisa B. Mirel, Barry L. Steffen, Jon Sperling, Elizabeth C. Rudd, Jennifer D.

Parker, and Carol S. Star. November 2017. Linkage of 1999–2012 National Health Interview Survey and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Administrative Records.

McClure, Kirk, and University of Kansas. October 2017. Length of Stay in Assisted Housing.

Mitchell, Maxine V., CRE, Robert E. Miller, Deborah Brett, Ralph Kinser, Ann Moroney, Peter A. Tatian, Martha Galvez, Braydon Meixell, and Rebecca Daniels.

July 24, 2017. Interface of Mobility and Sustainability: Thompson v. HUD

Volume 1: Findings Final Report.

Montgomery, Ann Elizabeth, and Meagan Cusack. September 2017. HUD-VASH Exit Study—

Final Report.

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Myhre, Marina L., and Nicole Elsasser Watson. September 2017. Housing Counseling Works.

Newman, Sandra, and Scott C. Holupka. March 2017. T he Quality of America’s Assisted Housing Stock: Analysis of the 2011 and 2013 American Housing Surveys.

Newport Partners. October 2017. Innovative Building Technology Guide: Selecting the Best Solutions for Your Project.

Northrop, Rebecca, Christopher Jones, Dalton Laluces, La Tonya Green, Kenya Crumel, BCT

Partners, Melissa Vandawalker, Meghan Henry, Claudia D. Solari, Gretchen Locke, Jill Khadduri, and Abt Associates. January 2018. HUD Section 811 PRA Program Case Studies.

Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), Office of Economic Affairs, and U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). May 2018. Assessment of Small Area Median Family Income Estimates.

Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). March 2018. Understanding Whom the LIHTC Serves: Data on Tenants in LIHTC Units as of December 31, 2015.

———. December 2016. Understanding Whom the LIHTC Program Serves: Data on Tenants in LIHTC Units as of December 31, 2014.

Pindus, Nancy, G., Thomas Kingsley, Jennifer Biess, Diane Levy, Jasmine Simington, Christopher Hayes, and Urban Institute. January 2017. Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.

Pindus, Nancy, G., Thomas Kingsley, Jennifer Biess, Diane Levy, Jasmine Simington, Christopher Hayes, and Urban Institute. January 2017. Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs: Executive Summary.

Pinkett, Randal, Christopher Jones, Kenya Crumel, Jie Dong, BCT Partners, Melissa Vandawalker, Gretchen Locke, Jill Khadduri, and Abt Associates. January 2018.

HUD Section 811 PRA Project Rental Assistance Program Process Evaluation.

Poverty and Inequality Research Lab, Johns Hopkins University, Philip Garboden, Eva Rosen, Meredith Greif, Stefanie DeLuca, and Kathryn Edin. May 2018. Urban Landlords and the Housing Choice Voucher Program: A Research Report.

Riccio, James, Victoria Deitch, Nandita Verma, and MDRC. October 2017. Reducing Work Disincentives in the Housing Choice Voucher Program: Rent Reform Demonstration Baseline Report.

Santos, Robert, Margery Austin Turner, Laudan Aron, Brent Howell, and Urban Institute.

December 2016. Future Directions for Research on Discrimination Against Families with Children in Rental Housing Markets.

Smith, Lionel, John Bae, Margaret diZerega, Ryan Shanahan, Ram Subramanian, and Jacob Kang-Brown. September 2017. An Evaluation of the New York City Housing Authority’s Family Reentry Pilot Program: Final Report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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Tessler, Betsy L., Nandita Verma, Jonathan Bigelow, Victoria Quiroz-Becerra, MDRC, Kirstin P. Frescoln, William M. Rohe, Michael D. Webb, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Amy T. Khare, Mark L. Joseph, Emily K. Miller, and Case Western Reserve University. September 2017. Scaling Up a Place-Based Employment Program: Highlights from the Jobs Plus Pilot Program Evaluation.

Theodos, Brett, Thomas G. Kingsley, Eric Burnstein, Sara McTarnaghan, Christina Plerhoples Stacy, and Ruth Gourevitch. September 2018. Strong Cities, Strong Communities National Resource Network Program Evaluation.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). December 2016. Creating Walkable and Bikeable Communities.

———. April 2017a. Literature Review: The Credit-Enhancing Functions of Downpayment and Downpayment Substitutes.

———. September 2018. Programs of HUD.

———. April 2017b. Research Report for Importance of Mortgage Downpayment as a Deterrent to Delinquency and Default as Observed in Black Knight (McDash) Servicing History.

———. October 2016. The U.S. 20/20 Habitat III Report.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Economic Affairs, and Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). August 2018. Proposals to Update the Fair Market Rent Formula.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). May 2018a. Displacement of Lower-Income Families in Urban Areas Report

———. June 2017. Assessment of ARRA Green and Energy Retrofits in HUD-Subsidized Housing.

———. May 2018b. Displacement of Lower-Income Families in Urban Areas Report.

———. January 2017a. Office of Policy Development & Research Biennial Report FY 2015–2016.

———. January 2017b. Preview of 2015 Worst Case Housing Needs.

Watson, Nicole Elsasser, Barry L. Steffen, Marge Martin, and David A. Vandenbroucke. August 2017. Worst Case Housing Needs 2017 Report to Congress.

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U.S. Housing Market Conditions Reports

• December 2016. 3rd Quarter National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• March 2017 . 4th Quarter National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• June 2017. 1st Quarter 2017 National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• September 2017. 2nd Quarter 2017 National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• December 2017. 3rd Quarter 2017 National Housing Market Summary Report.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• March 2018. 4th Quarter 2017 National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• June 2018. 1 st Quarter 2018 National Housing Market Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Monthly National Housing Market Indicators (20 reports: 12 in 2017 and 8 in 2018).

Datasets

October 2016

Qualified Census Tracts and Difficult Development Areas:

Data for 2017

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files 3rd Quarter 2016

USPS Vacancy Data for 3rd Quarter 2016 is now available

January 2017

HUD Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Data for 2016

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files 4th Quarter 2016

USPS Vacancy Data for 4th Quarter 2016 is now available

February 2017

A Picture of Subsidized Households—2016 Data Based on

2010 Census

March 2017

FY 2017 Income Limits

Special Tabulations of Households: 2015 Data

April 2017

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 1, 2017

USPS Vacancy Data for 1st Quarter 2017 is now available

May 2017

Consolidated Planning/ CHAS Data: 2010–2014

Fair Market Rents: Hypothetical FY 2017 FMRs

June 2017

2017 Renewal Funding Inflation Factors

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July 2017

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 2, 2017

USPS Vacancy Data for 2nd Quarter 2017 is now available

September 2017 Fair Market Rents: FY 2018 FMRs

Qualified Census Tracts and Difficult Development Areas:

Data for 2018

October 2017

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 3, 2017

USPS Vacancy Data for 3rd Quarter 2017 is now available

January 2018

HUD Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Data for 2017

A Picture of Subsidized Households—2017 Data

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 4, 2017

USPS Vacancy Data for 4th Quarter 2017 is now available

March 2018

FY 2018 Income Limits

April 2018

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 1, 2018

USPS Vacancy Data for 1st Quarter 2018 is now available

June 2018

2018 Renewal Funding Inflation Factors

July 2018

Consolidated Planning/CHAS Data: 2011–2015

HUD USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Files: Quarter 2, 2018

USPS Vacancy Data for 2nd Quarter 2018 is now available

August 2018

Fair Market Rents: FY 2019 FMRs

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

Washington, DC 20410-6000

June 2019

Document Outline

Message From the General Deputy Assistant Secretary

Overview, Mission, and Core Functions

PD&R’s People and Organization

PD&R Organizational Chart

PD&R Field Economist Organizational Chart

PD&R’s Funding and Budget

Research and Technology (R&T) Interagency Agreements, Contracts, and Grants

National Housing

Data Infrastructure

Housing Market Intelligence

Program Parameter Data

Allocation Formulas

Data for Research and Monitoring

Research and Demonstrations

Research Roadmap

Completed and Ongoing Projects

PD&R’s Outreach and Dissemination

PD&R Sponsored Events

Dissemination to Housing and Community DevelopmentProfessionals Through Conferences

Periodicals

Awards

International and Philanthropic Engagement

Looking Ahead

Appendix: Publications and Datasets

U.S. Housing Market Conditions Reports

Datasets