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309 – Monte Carlo Methodology
Improving Coverage of New College Housing in the Group Quarters Frame for the Household Surveys
Bonnie Moore
U.S. Census Bureau
Household surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau sample group quarters (GQs) separately from housing units. GQs, which include college housing, homeless shelters, and monasteries, are in a separate sampling frame. Address canvassing captures existing group quarters during the decennial census.
The largest source of frame updates outside the decennial census is the United States Postal Service (USPS) Delivery Sequence File (DSF). The DSF is a national address file of mail delivery points serviced by the USPS. The DSF does not provide good coverage of new college housing because residents often collect their mail at P.O. Boxes, where mailing addresses are not associated with the physical location of the GQs. Physical locations are required when adding units to the GQ frame. The American Community Survey has similar undercoverage in their GQ frame.
Administrative records are used to correct general undercoverage, but none target college housing. College housing residents comprise 66.7 percent of the household surveys GQ target population. We will discuss a pilot telephone survey to improve coverage of new college housing in the GQ frame, including plans for implementation.