Modernizing the U.S. Census (1995) / Chapter Skim
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H Census Data Needs for Housing and Urban Development
H Census Data Needs for Housing and Urban Development
Pages 322-341
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From page 322... ...
HUD uses census data to allocate funds to cities and local jurisdictions most in need of assistance, such as in the assisted housing Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) or Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG)
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From page 323... ...
For example, HUD staff uses tract data to identify qualified census tracts for mortgage revenue bonds and low-income housing tax credits. CDBG program staff monitor the distribution of program assistance using data at the tract- and blockgroup level.
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From page 324... ...
The finest levels of aggregation for these uses of data are at the jurisdiction or census place level for comprehensive housing affordability strategies development, CDBG, Fair Housing, and Section 202 elderly and handicapped. And, for calculating income limits and fair market rents, data at the county level are required.
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From page 325... ...
Congressionally required reports, such as the President's National Urban Policy Report, the State of Fair Housing and Civil Rights Data on HUD Program Applicants and Beneficiaries, and Worst Case Housing Needs, require the use of these data. These data are also used in combination with other data items to set income limits that reflect regional variation in housing costs for several programs, including HUD-assisted housing, Farmers Home Administration, Resolution Trust Corporation, and Treasury Department programs.
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From page 326... ...
More effective targeting of the low-income housing tax credits and mortgage revenue bonds programs can be achieved by using these data for designating qualified census tracts and difficult development areas. Congressionally required reports, such as the President's National Urban Policy Report and Worst Case Housing Needs, require use of these data.
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From page 327... ...
2 elderly housing and HOME programs; developing comprehensive housing affordability strategies by local governments; reporting on worst case housing needs; and identifying qualified census tracts and difficult development areas for low-income housing tax credit and mortgage revenue bond programs. HUD income limits and estimates are used by numerous other agencies and organizations: the Federal Reserve Board, Treasury, Farmers Home Administration, Resolution Trust Corporation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Housing Finance Board, Federal National Mortgage Corporation, and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
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From page 328... ...
For the CHAS data, HUD obtained decennial census data tapes from the Census Bureau, processed them, and then published a databook. At the same time, the Census Bureau produced equivalent tabulations for many areas of the nation and released them on CD-ROMs.
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From page 329... ...
Finally, few local or state agencies have made quality checks on their housing data. With the CHAS data, housing officials are able to examine neighborhoods, which are re-emerging as a central focus for urban policy.
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From page 330... ...
Although the CHAS data book was a great improvement in the availability of census data for affordable housing policy development, a major area of data was still missing, specifically, data that cross-tabulated housing condition with housing cost burden. The availability of these data is important because of the common perceptions local community leaders have about housing problemsthat most housing problems involve poor housing conditions or lack of available affordable units.
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From page 331... ...
In addition, lack of AHS subarea data makes it difficult to clearly describe to suburban officials the housing problems in their communities that need to be addressed. Another example of the use of decennial census data for housing policy development is that of the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
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From page 332... ...
In conclusion, the need for the housing data provided in the decennial census certainly has not decreased in recent years, and in fact will continue to grow as the federal government adds increasing planning requirements to its programs. The focus on comprehensive and strategic planning means that housing data are important not only for housing planning, but also for planning related to economic development, welfare reform, crime reduction, and transportation.
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From page 333... ...
Many federal programs use measures of local need in allocation formulas or eligibility standards. Some programs, such as the Community Development Block Grants, attempt to measure community need or distress using formulas that reflect conditions in entire .
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From page 334... ...
Alternative sources of data on population; housing; income and poverty; labor markets; and mobility, health, ethnicity, and language include the Current Population Survey (for income and poverty data, the March supplement) , AHS (conducted nationally every other year)
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From page 335... ...
While independent researchers could undertake housing surveys to fill this gap, such surveys would be too costly or lack the credibility and reliability of data produced by the Census Bureau. Unfortunately, the decennial census is not an adequate source for housing quality statistics, and other Census Bureau data have significant limitations too.
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From page 336... ...
F Edward Geiger, III, senior policy analyst of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Development, emphasizes the need for improved data in the decennial census on condition of housing structures for individual communities and by census tracts and makes recommendations for additional condition items (see Table H.1; see also Geiger, 1994~.
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From page 337... ...
If the decennial census gathered statistics on broken toilets, a good estimate of homes with leaking pipes would be available. Using this methodology, many housing quality features found in the AHS could be extrapolated from the slightly expanded decennial census.
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From page 338... ...
First, HUD would be unable to meet legislatively mandated requirements for several programs-community development block grants, emergency shelter grants, low-income housing tax credits, and mortgage revenue bonds. Second, lower levels of accuracy and precision associated with other data sources would lead to poorly targeted programs, inefficient use of limited federal resources, and seriously inequitable distributions of program benefits.
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From page 339... ...
Garber, R.F. 1994 Use of Decennial Census Data in Housing Policy Development.
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From page 340... ...
Newman, S.J., and A.B. Schnare 1994 Back to the Future: Housing Policy for the Next Century.
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From page 341... ...
DATA NEEDS FOR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TABLE HA Suggested Additional Decennial Census Questions on Housing Condition 341 Census Question Data Need Addressed During the past year, have all the toilets in this housing unit been broken for 6 hours or more? During the past year have plumbing problems prevented you from using a sink, bath, or shower for longer than 6 hours?
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