Demonstration Planning Grant OMB Final 6.14.10 PartB

Evaluation of the
Demonstration
Planning Grant
Program
Task Order
C-CHI-01031/
GS-10F-0086K
OMB Paperwork
Reduction Act
Submission for
Survey of Section 202
Sponsors
Part B: Statistical
Methods
June 14, 2010
Prepared for
Ashaki Robinson Johns, M.S.W.
Office of Policy Development and
Research
US Department of Housing and
Urban Development
451 7th St. SW, Suite 8120
Washington, DC 20410
Prepared by
Gretchen Locke
Melissa Vandawalker
Abt Associates Inc.
55 Wheeler Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Table of Contents
Part B: Statistical Methods .................................................................................................... 1
B1 Potential Respondent Universe.............................................................................. 1
B2 Statistical Methods................................................................................................. 1
B2.2 Justification of Level of Accuracy............................................................ 3
B3 Maximizing Response Rates.................................................................................. 3
B4 Tests of Procedures or Methods ............................................................................ 4
B5 Statistical Consultation and Information Collection Agents ................................. 4

Abt Associates Inc.

Table of Contents

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Part B: Statistical Methods
HUD has contracted with Abt Associates to conduct a telephone survey of a purposive
sample of nonprofit sponsors funded under Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
program. The study’s sampling frame is the universe of all Section 202 properties reported
in integrated Real Estate Management Services (iREMS) data extract that were funded from
fiscal years 1998 through 2008.

B1

Potential Respondent Universe

The sampling frame for selecting the survey sample includes the 1,497 properties funded
under the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program from between fiscal years
1998 through 2008.

B2

Statistical Methods

The sponsor sample is a purposive sample selected based on processing time from fund
reservation to initial closing and geographic region. We selected sponsors based on
processing time to ensure that we learn about both properties that were able to get to initial
closing quickly and those that experienced delays.
The sampling frame for the sample of Section 202 sponsors is based on property-level data
from the integrated Real Estate Management Systems (iREMS) extract received from HUD
in January 2010. We limited the sample universe to sponsors of properties that were funded
between 2004 and 2008. This sampling period was selected because 2004 was the first year
in which the Demonstration Planning Grant program was funded for properties receiving
Section 202 capital advances. We also limited the sample universe to sponsors with
properties that had already reached initial closing in order to learn about activities that take
place within the entire predevelopment period and to learn what factors contribute to
processing time. We eliminated duplication of sponsor respondents by removing multiple
properties associated with the same sponsor. The interview will focus on the specific
property on the basis of which the sponsor was selected.
For DPG recipients, we chose sponsors of 28 properties that reached initial closing within 18
months of fund reservation, 28 properties that reached initial closing between 18 and 24
months, and 14 properties that reached initial closing more than 24 months after fund
reservation.
After selecting for processing time, we further selected by geographic region (Northeast,
South, Midwest, and West) so that we learn about sponsor experiences in a range of
development environments. Although we did not purposively select by field office, the

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OMB Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
for Telephone Survey of Section 202 Sponsors

1

resulting sample includes properties administered by 41 of the 47 field offices that administer
the DPG.
Exhibit 4 presents the sampling allocation by processing time and geographic region.
Exhibit 4: Sampling Allocation for Purposive Sample of Section 202 Properties Funded
Between FY1998-FY2008
Sponsor Universe
Property
Characteristic

Number of
Properties

Percent of
Sample
Universe

DPG Recipient Sample
Number of
Properties

Percent of
Sampled
Properties

Non-Recipient Sample
Number of
Properties

Percent of
Sampled
Properties

Fiscal Year
1998

163

11%

1999

156

10%

2000

157

10%

2001

153

10%

2002

161

11%

2003

136

10%

2004

144

10%

8

11%

0

0%

2005

119

8%

17

24%

13

43%

2006

106

7%

26

37%

9

30%

2007

102

7%

16

23%

4

13%

100

7%

3

4%

4

13%

<18 months

404

27%

28

40%

12

40%

18 – 24 months

524

35%

28

40%

12

40%

> 24 months

569

38%

14

20%

6

20%

Northeast

304

23%

20

29%

7

23%

Midwest

301

23%

18

26%

8

27%

South

482

36%

19

27%

7

23%

West

237

18%

13

19%

8

27%

1,497

100%

70

100%

30

100%

2008
1

Processing Times

2

Region

All

1

We are not able to observe the initial closing dates for some properties that were funded in FY2007 or
FY2008, and therefore, they are not included in this processing time analysis. As a result, for the recent
cohorts, all we see are properties that reached initial closing quickly, not the properties that will end up having
longer processing times. This creates a downward bias when we calculate the summary statistics for processing
time for these most recent cohorts.
2

Distribution by region based on 1,324 records due to missing Census region fields.

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For non-recipients as well, the sample universe to sponsors of properties was limited to those
that were funded between 2004 and 2008. Non-recipients are defined as those sponsors who
neither applied for nor received any DPGs during the fiscal year 2004-2008 time period. We
also selected non-recipients based on processing time to ensure that we learn about a range of
Section 202 experiences. We selected sponsors of 12 properties that reached initial closing
within 18 months of fund reservation, 12 properties that reached initial closing between 18
and 24 months, and 6 properties that reached initial closing more than 24 months after fund
reservation. After selecting for processing time, we further selected by geographic region to
ensure that all regions are represented in the sample.
B2.2

Justification of Level of Accuracy

The resources available for this study do not support a survey of the universe of Section 202
sponsors. The sampling approach ensures that the sample represents the broad experience of
sponsors with the DPG program, even if it is not statistically representative of the sampling
universe. The sample size of 100 sponsors is sizeable and will be sufficient to support
descriptive analyses.

B3

Maximizing Response Rates

This survey is planned as a telephone survey. We expect that respondents will be able to
respond to most questions from memory or opinion; however, there is some information that
may require respondents to consult their files. When scheduling the survey, the interviewer
will provide the respondent with details on information should be available during the survey
administration to reduce the need for follow up questions.
We expect that in most cases, the sponsor agency’s in-house staff will be able to provide
most of the information needed. However, in some cases, the sponsor will have hired a
development consultant for the DPG application and/or administration. In those cases, the
interviewer will conduct the survey with both the sponsor staff member and consultant on the
phone at the same time.
We anticipate achieving a survey response that includes 100 respondents – 70 DPG
recipients and 30 non-recipients. We expect there may be instances in which sponsors will
need to be replaced. This will occur if the sponsor representative familiar with the target
property is no longer at the sponsor organization and there is no one else at the organization
with sufficient knowledge of the DPG grant. Since we have selected properties that were
funded beginning in fiscal year 2004, we expect this may occur. Sponsors will also need to
be replaced if they do not respond to our attempts to contact them or refuse to participate.
When a sponsor needs to be replaced, we will select the sponsor of a property with similar
processing time and geographic region as the sponsor to be replaced.

Abt Associates Inc.

OMB Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
for Telephone Survey of Section 202 Sponsors

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B4

Tests of Procedures or Methods

The instruments will be pretested in June 2010 on five respondents including three sponsor
recipients of a DPG, and two non-recipients.

B5

Statistical Consultation and Information Collection Agents

HUD has contracted with Abt Associates, Inc. to conduct the data collection. The data
collection procedures will be similar to those used in other telephone surveys conducted by
Abt Associates.

Abt Associates Inc.

OMB Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
for Telephone Survey of Section 202 Sponsors

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