Evaluating Alternative Comparison Groups for Recipients of Federal Housing Assistance Using the NHIS-HUD Linked Data

• Activity Number: 508 - Administrative Records and Record Linkage
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 2, 2017 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Patricia Calderon Lloyd* and Veronica E. Helms and Jon Sperling and Lisa B Mirel
• Companies: National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and CDC/NCHS/OAE/SPB
• Keywords: linked data ; housing ; HUD ; NHIS

Abstract

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) linked data from participants of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to HUD administrative records, resulting in the NHIS-HUD linked data. These linked data allow researchers to examine the intersection of housing and health that would not be possible with the survey and administrative data sources, alone. Since eligibility does not guarantee HUD housing assistance, challenges arise when defining a comparison group of those not receiving HUD housing assistance in order to evaluate the effect of HUD-assisted housing on health outcomes. This analysis evaluates two approaches for comparing health status between these two groups, with a presentation of estimates and standard errors. The first comparison group is based on poverty level, living in a rental unit and not living in HUD-assisted housing. The second comparison group includes those who were not enrolled in HUD-assistance programs at the time of the NHIS interview but would be enrolled within a two-year period. This paper provides critical insight for researchers analyzing the NHIS-HUD linked data.