87 – Developments in Survey Design and Implementation
History of Sampling Methodology in the HUD Assisted Housing Household Rent Quality Control Studies
Francine Barrington
ICF International
Pedro J. Saavedra
ICF International
Mary K. Sistik
ICF International
Sophia Zanakos
ICF International
For over three decades HUD has conducted a series of national surveys examining the eligibility and rent determination processes in assisted-housing programs. While the sample designs for these surveys have been similar, there have been significant modifications over the three decades. The HUD Quality Control Studies have always involved three phases or stages -- geographically defined PSUs, assisted-housing projects (AHPs) of different types, and the selection of households within AHPs. However, the exact population, the estimates required, and the information contained in the frame files have changed over time. We explore some of the modifications that have been made over the years, including the change in PSUs from congressional districts to county-based clusters, the diverse structure of AHPs, the shift from record abstraction to tenant interviews and third-party verification, and the types of estimates for different assisted-housing programs over the years.
