Doubling Up Module Final Report

14

Final Report of Cognitive Testing of the

2013 American Housing Survey Doubling Up Module

Aleia Clark and Terry DeMaio

Center for Survey Measurement

November 21, 2012

At the request of the Census Bureau’s Demographic Survey Division, the Center for Survey Measurement conducted cognitive testing of the Doubling Up Module of the 2013 American Housing Survey (AHS).

The AHS is a longitudinal housing unit survey that returns to the same housing units every other year to gather data. The Doubling Up Module is designed to collect data on in-movers and out-movers within the sample housing units, helping to increase the accuracy of the picture provided by the AHS. While the questions were tested in this module as a single unit, it should be noted that they will not appear as a unit in the 2013 AHS. Groups of questions will be interspersed at different points in the questionnaire where they flow more smoothly.

Eleven cognitive interviews were conducted in two rounds between July and September 2012. The first round consisted of six interviews. After we made the necessary changes to the questionnaire, another five interviews were conducted.

Respondents were recruited through advertisements in the Washington Post Express and through postings on Craigslist.com. Flyers were also posted at various Washington Metro Area Metro stations. Recruitment qualifications for the first round required that respondents have one or more persons move in or out of their home within the past 12 months. We found that respondents with more complex housing situations were better suited to test the questions. For Round 2, we narrowed the recruiting criteria to include only respondents who had one or more persons move both in and out of their home within the past 12 months.

The table below documents the characteristics of the cognitive interview respondents:

	Number of Rs
Gender
Female	8
Male	3
Race
White	3
Black	8
Education
High School or GED	3
Some College	4
College Graduate	1
Graduate Education	2

Respondents were instructed to “think aloud” as they were answering the survey questions to allow more detailed analysis of their cognitive processes. Pre-scripted probes were used to determine how respondents interpreted specific terms in the questions and unscripted probes were used when interviewers thought that respondents were having difficulty responding to a question. Respondents were compensated $40 for their participation. Interviews were conducted at the Census Bureau’s cognitive laboratory or at places convenient to respondents such as local commercial establishments.

A copy of the questionnaire that was used in Round 1 is included as Attachment A.

RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Below we present question-by-question discussions of the results, including recommendations for questionnaire revision. We include all questions contained in the test questionnaire, although the module actually begins at question 5. Within each question, we include the results of both rounds when changes were made to the question for Round 2. A copy of the questionnaire with our final recommendations is included as Attachment B.

• Ask Questions 1 and 2 for one household member before moving to the next person.

• Enter names and sexes on roster sheet.

1. Now I will ask you some questions about the people who live here. What are the names of all persons living or staying here? Start with the name of the person, or one of the persons, who owns or rents the home. (FR Instruction: List names on roster.)

This question is designed to create a roster of all members currently living in the household. Most respondents did not have difficulty understanding and responding to this question. Respondents tended to list the owner or renter of the home first. One of the 11 respondents lived in a unit where the owner did not live on the premises. This respondent listed the name of the building owner on the roster.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

2. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in Question 1.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

Respondents did not have any difficulty understanding and responding to this question. Often respondents would identify their relationship to the roster member using gendered terms making the answer obvious for the Field Representative.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

3. Is your home

(FR Instruction: Read categories until “yes” reply is received.)

1. □ Owned?

2. □ Rented?

3. □ Occupied without payment of rent? – Skip to Question 5

This question was ambiguous for respondents who rent rooms within a larger home. Two of the respondents were not sure whether they should answer about their specific unit within the larger housing unit or if they should respond based on their knowledge of the ownership of the larger housing unit. Seven respondents answered that their homes were owned and four respondents answered that their homes are rented.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

4. In whose name is this home [fill with answer to Question 3]?

(FR Instruction: Place an asterisk (*) next to owners’/renters’ name(s) on Household Roster)

Most respondents did not have difficulty with this question. However, one respondent had a co-signer on her apartment who did not live in the home. Nine of the eleven respondents answered that the home is owned or rented in their own names and two respondents answered that their homes were owned in the name of the property owner. In these two cases, the respondents should have answered that their homes were rented in response to Question 3.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

5. Has anyone moved into the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved in without a parent or guardian.

1. □ Yes

2. □ No—Skip to Question 8

In the first round, we found that respondents with complex households often had trouble recalling all of those who had moved in. This resulted in an incomplete listing of in-movers. For example, one respondent had multiple people, including both relatives and non-relatives, moving in and out on a regular basis. This respondent neglected to report an in-mover until the interview reached Question 8. We found that in these types of complex situations respondents underreported due to memory lapses as well as due to the social desirability of the nuclear family living together in one housing unit. In one case, the respondent did not consider himself as an in-mover when answering this question.

We also note that this question assumes that any particular in-mover has only a single move. We found that this caused problems in other parts of the questionnaire as well (See changes to Question 8.).

To address this issue, we revised the question to provide a listing of the household roster to facilitate careful consideration of who might be an in-mover. We changed the question to read:

I have listed [read roster names]. Have any of these people moved into the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved in without a parent or guardian.

In Round 2, the addition of the roster reading seemed to improve respondents’ performance. Only one in five respondents left out an in-mover until Question 8. However, we found that the question wording needed to be restructured for one-person households.

Recommendation: We suggest that for one-person households, the question be revised to read: “Did you move into the home in the last 12 months?”

Sponsor’s Feedback: This change was not necessary; the instrument will not include this particular question because the household roster data are collected separately and will automatically provide move-in dates for each person, including the respondent.

6. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Mark all that apply on the roster sheet. Ask Question 7 for each person marked.)

Often respondents answered this question preemptively when responding to Question 5. At that point, respondents often listed the names of in-movers rather than answering “yes” or “no.” One respondent from Round 1 named an in-mover who was not previously listed on the household roster in response to Question 1. It became evident later in the interview that this in-mover was not listed on the roster because he had also moved out of the home. The recommended changes to Questions 5 and 8 are designed to capture this particular subset of residents who have both moved in and out within a 12-month period.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

7. When did [fill Name] move in?

(FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet.)

Respondents in complex households tended to have difficulty recalling the precise month and year of the most recent time someone had moved into the home. For example, one respondent had her daughter’s father move in and out multiple times over the past five years. This respondent had trouble remembering the month of the most recent move-in date. Respondents also displayed a tendency to modify their answers later in the interview. For example, one respondent said that her son and his girlfriend moved in during the month of May and moved out during June. At the debriefing portion of the interview, the respondent reported that the couple had moved in during July 2012. While the modification of answers helps with accuracy, many of the items in this survey depend on fill patterns that use the most recent move-in date, making the late modification of answers problematic for the interviewer. The change in the most recent move-in date in the above example changed the appropriate fill for Questions 12 through 20.

Recommendation: We do not have any recommendations for improving the reliability of the data for this question.

8. Has anyone moved out of the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved out without a parent or guardian.

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

As mentioned previously, this question often elicited reports of in-movers or residents that respondents had not mentioned in answering Question 5, in addition to the out-movers about whom the question asks. For example, a respondent added her son’s girlfriend to the list of people who currently live in the home. The respondent described a situation where her son and his girlfriend moved out and then back in within the 12-month period. Another respondent did not mention that one roster member had moved out and in within the past 12 months until this point in the interview.

To address this issue we revised the questionnaire for Round 2 by adding two additional questions to elicit reports of in-movers who may have been omitted in Question 5. The two new questions were placed after Question 10 in the original questionnaire. The new questions read:

Ask for each person listed on roster: Has [fill Name] lived in this household for less than 12 months? (FR instruction: If yes, then for each ask Question 12)

Ask for each yes in Q 11: When did [fill Name] move in? (FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet, ‘D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal)

After making the changes to this question respondents continued to mention in-movers; however, in Round 2 only one respondent out of five mentioned a forgotten in-mover at this point in the questionnaire. Recall of in-movers and out-movers is an issue that cannot be addressed by revising the questions in the survey. The process of answering the questions as respondents progress through the survey seems to help them remember in- and out-movers.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any further changes to this question.

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and someone has moved in (Question 5 is “yes”), skip to Box 1.

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and no one has moved in (Question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 3.

9. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Enter name(s) on roster sheet. Ask Questions 10 and 11 for each person listed.)

Most respondents did not have difficulty answering this question if the response to Question 8 was yes. Respondents usually answered with both first and last names of the movers. Only one respondent in Round 1 had trouble remembering the name of an out-mover.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

10. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in Question 9.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

Respondents did not have difficulty answering this question. At this point in the interview, most respondents had learned the pattern of these roster questions and preemptively offered the answer to this question about gender. Respondents also tended to answer Questions 8 and 9 in terms of relationships (i.e., son or daughter, nephew, sister, etc.). This tendency meant that the question was often redundant for the interviewer and at most required verification from the interviewer.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

11. When did [fill Name] move out? (FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet, ‘D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal.)

Respondents in complex households often had difficulty recalling the correct date for out-movers. Changing answers during the interview provides evidence that respondent’s answers to this item are unreliable. This was particularly the case for respondents who have people cycle in and out of the home multiple times and for those who have multiple people moving in and out of the unit. We did not recommend any changes to this question for Round 1.

In Round 2, there was one case where two out-movers left the home in the same month but did not move to the same address. The skip pattern in Box 2 assumes that out-movers who leave at the same time will move together to the same address. We found that this assumption does not hold in every case (See Question 22 for further discussion.).

Recommendation: We recommend adding a question that would be asked if more than one person is reported as moving out in the same month. The question would determine whether the out-movers moved as a group. For example, “Did [fill names] move to the same place?” It the answer is no, the sponsor will need to decide how to handle the situation.

Sponsor’s Feedback: The questions asking about move-out dates were replaced with questions specifically asking if any of the out-movers listed in Question 11 moved out as a group, followed by questions asking which of these individuals or groups moved out most recently. The new series of questions begins after the respondent identifies the gender of the out-movers. The next question reads: “Did any of these people move out as a group?” This question is followed by an identification of individual group members: “Who moved out as a group?” The final question in this series asks about which individuals or groups moved out most recently: “Who moved out most recently?” The remaining out-mover questions are asked of each group.

Box 1

• If no one has moved into the home (Question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 2.

• Otherwise, ask Questions 12 through 20 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move in date. Do not ask of or about everyone who has moved into the home.

When respondents change their answers to Question 11 the skip instructions become problematic for the interviewer. In one case, a respondent changed his/her answer concerning the date of the most recent in-mover at the end of the interview during the debriefing portion. Due to the nature of the fill patterns in this questionnaire, changing the most recent move-in date in this case meant that Questions 12 through 20 were asked about the wrong set of in-movers. This will not be a problem in the actual survey because the instrument will be automated.

12. Now we have some questions about the place where [fill Name(s)/you] lived before moving here. What state did [fill Name(s)/you] live in just before moving here?

(FR instruction: Enter state on roster sheet, ‘ D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal. If more than one person, ask about the people as a group, not individuals.)

Most respondents did not have difficulty answering this question. One respondent out of 11 did not know the answer to the question. One respondent who had moved twice had to be reminded which move the question was referring to.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

13. Was that residence

(FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ A house?

2. □ An apartment?

3. □ A manufactured or mobile home?

4. □ Some other type of residence?

5. □ Dk

6. □ Refuse

Eight respondents answered this question during both rounds. Respondents tended to interrupt the interviewer before all response categories were read. Five respondents indicated that the residence was “A house” and three respondents answered “An apartment.” Respondents did not have difficulty answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

14. When [fill Name(s)/you] moved here, did [his/her/their/your] housing costs increase, decrease, or stay about the same? Include utilities and mortgage or rent.

1. □ Increase

2. □ Decrease

3. □ Stay the same

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

There were several types of problems with this question. Respondents did not understand this question as it was asked and were visibly confused. One respondent assumed that an in-mover’s housing costs had decreased; however, since she did not know where he had lived previously, the answer seemed suspicious. Two respondents misinterpreted the question to be referring to the change in housing costs at the unit the in-mover had previously lived in and not the change in housing costs between the previous place and the current home as the question intends. In yet another instance, the respondent’s in-mover was paying a mortgage on a home that was deemed uninhabitable and her insurance company was also paying rent to the respondent. In this case it was not clear what “housing costs” referred to.

To address these issues we amended the question for Round 2 by adding a reference to the change from the previous residence. The amended question read: When [fill Name(s)/you] moved here, did the amount [he/she/they/you] paid for utilities and mortgage or rent increase, decrease, or stay the same as [his/her/their/your] previous residence?

Despite the changes made to this question for Round 2, two of the four respondents who were asked this question were not able to provide clear-cut answers. For one respondent, the in-mover cycled in and out of the home multiple times and only paid rent when he was working and could afford it. The respondent answered, “Sometimes it’s the same, sometimes it increases.”

Recommendation: It is not clear that respondents are interpreting this question correctly or that they have the information to answer it. We suggest that the sponsor consider dropping this question.

Sponsor’s Feedback: This recommendation to drop the question was not accepted by the sponsor.

15. [Is/Are/Did] [fill Name(s)/you] [stay/staying] here because [he/she/they/you] [do/does/did] not have a regular or adequate place to stay due to lack of money or other means of support? (FR Instruction: Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

Eight respondents were asked this question. Four respondents answered “yes” and four respondents answered “no.” The two respondents who answered “no” indicated that in-movers came to help with child-care when probed about their responses. Respondents did not have difficulty answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

16. Thinking about the last house, apartment or room where [fill Name(s)/you] lived or stayed for more than a month, why did [he/she/they/you] leave that place of residence? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)  

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Asked to leave by household

4. □ Lost to foreclosure

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ The unit was condemned, destroyed, or otherwise uninhabitable

7. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

8. □ There was violence in household

9. □ It was too crowded

10. □ There was too much conflict

11. □ Went into a treatment program or institution

12. □ Went to jail or prison

13. □ Other (specify)__________________________________

14. □ Dk

15. □ Refuse

Four respondents were asked this question in Round 1. Two answered “other,” one respondent chose the option for a condemned or uninhabitable unit and one chose “too much conflict.” Respondents tended to answer this question before interviewers could read all of the options allowed, which suggests the list might be too long. One respondent misinterpreted the category “There was too much conflict.” The respondent described a situation where the family member moved in because her previous landlord wanted to raise the rent to a level she could not afford. This was interpreted as conflict between the landlord and the in-mover when the more appropriate answer would have been “Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily.”

To clarify the sponsor’s intent concerning the answer option, “There was too much conflict,” we changed that answer category for the second round of interviews to clarify the type of conflict intended. The new option read: There was too much conflict among household members.

In Round 2, four respondents answered this question; however, no respondents chose the conflict option. One respondent answered that the in-mover was asked to leave by the household, one responded eviction, and another respondent said that the in-mover was both asked to leave by the household and entered a drug treatment program. One respondent answered that there was a major change in the family.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any further changes to this question.

17. Did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep at that place of residence the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here?

1. □ Yes – Skip to Question 20

2. □ No

3. □ Dk – Skip to Question 20

4. □ Refuse – Skip to Question 20

Eight respondents answered this question. Respondents did not have difficulty answering it. Four respondents answered “yes,” three answered “no” and one respondent did not know the answer to this question. One of the respondents who answered “no” went on to say that her son had slept on a bus while traveling to move in to her home. A second respondent who answered “no” misreported the answer to this question. The misreport became clear when the respondent answered Question 18.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

18. Where did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their/your] own place

2. □ With relatives

3. □ With friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they/you] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ In a shelter or other homeless program facility

7. □ In foster care

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, or car)

9. □In an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)__________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

Three respondents were asked this question. One respondent answered about a person who spent the previous night on a bus traveling to the home where they moved in. The respondent reported this as “other.” Another respondent answered “other” in reference to his own home. The respondent’s girlfriend had moved into the home before a forecasted hurricane for safety reasons. Her home was badly damaged during the storm and was deemed uninhabitable. The respondent reported her as an in-mover and answered “no” to Question 17. However, when asked for a response to Question 18, the respondent reported “other” and explained that she stayed at the his home the night before she moved in. At this point, it became clear that the respondent misreported the answer to Question 17 and should have skipped Question 18.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

19. Why did [fill Name(s)/you] leave the place where [he/she/they/you] slept the night before coming here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Lost to foreclosure

4. □ Asked to leave by others in the home

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

7. □ There was violence in the household

8. □ It was too crowded

9. □ There was too much conflict

10. □ Discharged/released from an institution or prison

11. □ Traveling to arrive here

12. □ Other reason (specify)______________________________________

13. □ Dk

14. □ Refuse

Two respondents were asked this question in Round 1. One respondent answered “Asked to leave by others in the home” and the second respondent answered “other.” As with Question 16, we revised the answer options to clarify the sponsor’s intent concerning the option “There was too much conflict.” The revised option read: There was too much conflict among household members.

In Round 2, only one person answered this question and the respondent chose the option “Traveling to arrive here.”

Recommendation: We do not recommend any further changes to this question.

20. How long [did/do] you expect [fill Name(s)/ skip fill] to live or stay in this home? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Less than 2 weeks

2. □ About 2 to 4 weeks

3. □ About 1 to 3 months

4. □ About 4 to 6 months

5. □ About 7 months to 1 year

6. □ Permanently or more than 12 months

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

Eight respondents were asked this question. Two respondents answered “About 1 to 3 months,” another two respondents answered “About 7 months to a year” and one respondent answered “Less than two weeks.” One respondent chose “About 2 to 4 weeks” and one respondent answered “Permanently or more than 12 months.” One respondent answered that she did not know how long she expected the in-mover to be living in the home because she was unsure how long she, as the owner, would be staying in the home.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

Box 2

• If someone has moved out of the home (Question 8 is “yes”), ask Questions 21 and 22 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move out date.

• Otherwise, skip to Box 3.

21. Why [do/does ] [fill Name(s)] no longer live here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Moved away on [his/her/their] own initiative

2. □ Moved away at request of others in the household

3. □ Some other reason (specify) ________________________________

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

Questions 21 and 22 are asked to gather information about people who moved out of the residence. Four respondents were asked this question in Round 1. This question did not make sense as written for some complex households. In one interview, the most recent out-movers had also moved back into the home.

To address this issue and to clarify the question, we changed the wording to read: Did [Fill Name(s)] move out on [Fill most recent move out date] on their own initiative, at the request of others in the household or for some other reason? The answer categories remained the same.

In Round 2, four respondents answered this question. One respondent answered “Some other reason,” in a case where the option for “Moved away at his own initiative,” would have been a more appropriate response. We suspect that including the category “some other reason” may result in over-reports of this response.

Recommendation: To eliminate the “for some other reason” phrase we recommend that the question be reworded to read: “Why did [fill name(s)] move out on [fill most recent move-out date]? This would discourage over-reports of this response. Another option would be to provide instructions to the Field Representative to recode “other” responses to one of the first two categories if appropriate.

Sponsor’s Feedback: The question was reworded in a different way to read: “[Was/Were] [he/she/they] asked to leave, did [he/she/they] leave voluntarily, or did [he/she/they] leave for some other reason?” The answer options read: Asked to leave; Left voluntarily; Left for some other reason; Do not know; Refuse.

22. Where did [he/she/they] move? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their] own place

2. □ Into the home of relatives

3. □ Into the home of friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ To foster care

7. □ To a shelter or other homeless program facility

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, car)

9. □ To an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)______________________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

In both rounds respondents tended to interrupt while the interviewer read the list of options. This suggests that the list is too long. One respondent had two out-movers who moved in the same month. However, at this point in the interview, it became clear that the out-movers did not move together. The respondent answered that one of the out-movers moved in with friends and the other moved in with family. The fill instruction from Box 2 incorrectly assumes that out-movers with the same move out date went to the same place. Revisions suggested for Question 11 should alleviate this problem.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

BOX 3

• If the answer to Question 3 is 2 (rented), continue to Question 23.

• If the answer Question 3 is 1 (owned), skip to Question 31.

• If the answer to Question 3 is 3 (no rent), skip to Question 40.

23. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/fill renter’s name(s)] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. Earlier you mentioned that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] rent this home. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill renter’s name(s) was] unable to pay [your/the] rent?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 26

4. □ Refuse

This set of questions tries to gauge the financial stability of the respondent and household. Four respondents rented their homes and were asked this set of questions. Most respondents did not have difficulty answering this question; however, respondents did mention during debriefing that this set of questions could be seen as sensitive. One respondent hesitated before answering and then said, “Not really, no because I make that a priority.” Two respondents answered yes to this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

24. Did this occur in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 26

4. □ Refuse

Two respondents were asked this question during Round 2 of the interviews. One respondent misreported the answer to this question and answered “No.” During follow-up questioning the respondent stated that she had difficulty paying the rent since an increase in June which would include the last three months.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

25. For how many of the last 3 months [were you/ was fill renter’s name(s)] unable to pay all or part of your rent?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

Respondents did not have difficulty understanding and answering this question. Two respondents answered this question during Round 2. One respondent answered “Two months” and the second respondent answered “All three months.”

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

26. [Have you/ Has fill renter’s name(s)] been threatened with eviction in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 29

4. □ Refuse

Respondents did not have difficulty understanding and answering this question. Two respondents answered this question during Round 2. One respondent answered “Yes” and the second respondent answered “No.”

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

27. What was the primary reason for threatened eviction? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Failure or inability to pay rent

2. □ Other violation of lease

3. □ Landlord wants to use the unit for another tenant or purpose, including moving in himself

4. □ Building condemned or due to be demolished

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ Other, specify_________________________________________________

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

The respondent did not have difficulty understanding and answering this question. One respondent answered this question and said “Failure or inability to pay rent.”

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

28. [Have you/has fill renter’s name(s)] received an actual eviction notice from a court?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

This question was asked of the one respondent who answered “No.” The respondent did not have difficulty understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

29. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] will have to leave the present housing within the next month because of eviction?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

Four respondents were asked this question during the interviews. Respondents did not have difficulty understanding or answering this question. Two respondents answered “Not likely at all,” one respondent said, “Certainly,” and one respondent said “Not very likely.”

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

30. If [you/ fill renter’s name] did have to leave this home, where do you think [you/he/she] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

(FR Instruction: This concludes the renters’ section. Skip to Question 40.)

Four respondents answered this question. Two answered that they “Would probably move in with family,” one answered that she “Would probably go to a shelter,” and another answered that she “Would probably get a different place” of her own. Respondents did not have difficulty understanding or answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

31. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/ fill owner’s name] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s) was] not able to pay all or part of the property taxes that [you/fill owner’s name(s)] owe(s), or has a lien been placed on the home for unpaid income taxes or other taxes?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

This set of questions is only asked of respondents who own their homes and tries to gauge financial stability of the respondent and household. As with the set of renter questions about financial stability, respondents agreed that these questions could be seen as sensitive. The sensitivity of this set of questions suggests that the interviewers might receive socially desirable answers.

All of the four respondents who were asked this question in Round 1 answered “no.” However, one respondent mentioned that she had a lien placed on her home for unpaid condominium fees rather than for unpaid taxes as the question asks. The lien was outside of the12-month reference period.

To capture liens that are placed on homes for reasons other than unpaid taxes, we amended the question for Round 2 to read: Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/ fill owner’s name] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s) was] not able to pay all or part of the property taxes that [you/fill owner’s name(s)] owe(s), or has a lien been placed on the home for unpaid income taxes other taxes, or some other reason?

Three respondents were asked this question in Round 2. Two answered “no,” and one respondent answered “yes.” One of the respondents initially misreported the answer to this question. While the respondent did not have trouble paying the property taxes on her home, she did have difficulty with the mortgage. Her response to the initial question was, “Yes, but I wouldn’t say property taxes but my mortgage has been late, yes.” The respondent double-reported this since she also said “yes” to Question 33, which asks about inability to make mortgage payments.

Recommendation: We recommend that the sponsor move this question to follow the series of questions about mortgage issues. Placing this question after Question 41 would create a logical connection with the series about the inability to pay other types of household obligations such as property taxes and utilities.

Sponsor’s Feedback: The sponsor decided to drop this question.

32. Do [you/fill owner’s name(s)] have a mortgage or loan of any type on this property? Include regular mortgages, home equity credit lines, and any loan that is secured by the value of the home.

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 40

4. □ Refuse

Four respondents were asked this question in Round 1 and three were asked in Round 2. All three respondents from Round 2 indicated that they did pay a mortgage on their homes. Three of the four respondents from Round 1 also answered “yes” and only one respondent indicated that she did not have a mortgage or other loan on her home.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

33. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s)was ] unable to pay the mortgage?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 38

4. □ Refuse

Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question. All three respondents from Round 1 who were asked this question answered “no.” Only one of the three respondents from Round 2 answered “no” to this question. Two respondents indicated that they were unable to pay the mortgage in the last 12 months.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

34. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

1. □Yes,

   

2. □No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 38

4. □ Refuse

Two respondents were asked this question in Round 2. Both respondents answered “Yes.” Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

35. For how many of the last 3 months were [you/fill owner’s name(s)] unable to pay all of the mortgage payments?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

Two respondents were asked this question in Round 2 and none in Round 1. One respondent answered “all three months.” One respondent answered “one month” and then qualified her answer by saying that she was able to pay the mortgage payment before penalties accrued but not by the due date. There is some ambiguity in the phrase “unable to pay all of the mortgage payments.” We saw similar ambiguity with Question 40 concerning utility bills.

Recommendation: We recommend that language be added to the question to make it more specific, according to the sponsor’s objectives. The distinction between the wording of Questions 33 and 35 suggests that this question is asking about total on-time payments. However, as currently worded, it will elicit reports of late payments as well.

Sponsor’s Feedback: The sponsor accepted this recommendation and provided clarifying language. The new question reads: “For how many of the last 3 months did [you/fill owner’s name(s)] receive a notice of missed payment or late payment fee from the mortgage or home equity lender?”

36. In the last 3 months, [have you/ has fill owner’s name] received a notice that the mortgage was going to be foreclosed on?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to Question 39

4. □ Refuse

Two respondents were asked this question in Round 2 and both answered “no.” Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

37. [Are you/ Is fill owner’s name] actually in foreclosure now?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

This question was not asked during the testing.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

38. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill owner’s name] will have to leave the home within the next month because of foreclosure?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

All five of the respondents who were asked this question answered “Not likely at all.” Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

39. If [you/ fill owner’s name] did have to leave, where do you think [you/he/she] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

Respondents correctly interpreted this question to ask about where they would go if they would have to leave the home because of foreclosure. The wording of the fills was problematic in one case where the respondent was the owner of the home. The fill “you” could be interpreted in the plural or the singular. One respondent first answered that she would move in with family and then asked for clarification, “Me as in just me, or me as in what would my daughter and her family do?” This respondent was housing a doubled up family as well as other relatives. All other respondents did not have difficulty responding to this question.

Recommendation: We suggest that the fill be expanded for this question if possible. If there is more than one person on the roster, the fill should read: “you and other household members.”

Sponsor’s Feedback: The sponsor accepted this recommendation and expanded the fill. The new question reads: “If [you/ fill owner’s name/and other members of your household] did have to leave, where do you think [you/he/she] would go?

40. Now I have some questions about your utility bills. In the last 12 months, has there been a time that [you/owner’s name/renter’s name] were unable to pay all of your utility bills? By utility bills, I mean electricity, gas, fuel oil, or other fuels, water, sewage, and trash collection.

1. □Yes

2. □No

3. □ Dk End interview

4. □ Refuse

This question caused two types of problems for respondents during the interviews. The first issue with the question was ambiguity in what it means to “pay all of your utility bills.” Two of the eleven respondents who were asked this question asked for clarification of what it meant to pay all of their utility bills. For example, one respondent asked, “Now when you say unable to pay, do you mean by the due date that they were due, or didn’t have any money at all to pay anything?” Both respondents were unsure whether paying all of their bills meant being able to pay by the due date.

For some renters, utilities are included in rent and this made interpreting the question a challenge for the respondent. Two respondents answered that their utilities are included in the rent. Of those two respondents, one also had trouble paying the rent, which made the answer to this question ambiguous. We understand that in the actual survey this question will not be asked of respondents whose rent includes utilities, so this particular issue will not cause a problem in the survey.

This question was also considered sensitive by respondents and might be subject to socially desirable answers.

Recommendation: We recommend that language be added to the question to make it more specific according to the sponsor’s objectives.

Sponsor’s Feedback: The sponsor accepted this recommendation and added language to make the question more specific. The sponsor also changed the reference period. The new question reads: “Now I have some questions about your utility bills. By utility bills, I mean electricity, gas, fuel oil, or other fuels, water, sewage, and trash collection. In the past 3 months, have you received notice that any of your utilities would be shut off due to lack of payment?

41. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

□Yes

□No

□ Dk End interview

□ Refuse

One respondent from Round 1 and one respondent from Round 2 answered “Yes” to this question. The other three respondents who were asked this question answered “No.” Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

42. For how many of the last 3 months were you unable to pay all of your utility bills?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

One respondent answered “One month” and the other respondent who was asked this question answered “Two months.” Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

43. In the past 3 months, have you received a notice that your utilities would be shut off?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

Both respondents who were asked this question answered, “No.” This question is sensitive and might be subject to socially desirable answers. Respondents did not have trouble understanding and answering this question.

Recommendation: We do not recommend any changes to this question.

44. In the past 3 months, have you actually had your utilities shut off?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

This question was not asked of any respondents during the pretesting.

Attachment A – 2013 American Housing Survey Doubling Up Module Round One Questionnaire

• Ask questions 1 and 2 for one household member before moving to the next person.

• Enter names and sexes on roster sheet.

1. Now I will ask you some questions about the people who live here. What are the names of all persons living or staying here? Start with the name of the person, or one of the persons, who owns or rents the home. (FR Instruction: List names on roster.)

2. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in question 1.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

3. Is your home

(FR Instruction: Read categories until “yes” reply is received.)

1. □ Owned?

2. □ Rented?

3. □ Occupied without payment of rent? – Skip to question 5

4. In whose name is this home [fill with answer to question 3]?

(FR Instruction: Place an asterisk (*) next to owners’/renters’ name(s) on Household Roster)

5. Has anyone moved into the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved in without a parent or guardian.

1. □ Yes

2. □ No—Skip to question 8

6. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Mark all that apply on the roster sheet. Ask question 7 for each person marked.)

7. When did [fill Name] move in?

(FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet.)

8. Has anyone moved out of the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved out without a parent or guardian.

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and someone has moved in (question 5 is “yes”), skip to Box 1.

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and no one has moved in (question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 3.

9. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Enter name(s) on roster sheet. Ask questions 10 and 11 for each person listed.)

10. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in question 9.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

11. When did [fill Name] move out? (FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet, ‘D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal.)

Box 1

• If no one has moved into the home (question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 2.

• Otherwise, ask questions 12 through 20 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move in date. Do not ask of or about everyone who has moved into the home.

12. Now we have some questions about the place where [fill Name(s)/you] lived before moving here. What state did [fill Name(s)/you] live in just before moving here?

(FR instruction: Enter state on roster sheet, ‘ D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal. If more than one person, ask about the people as a group, not individuals.)

13. Was that residence

(FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ A house?

2. □ An apartment?

3. □ A manufactured or mobile home?

4. □ Some other type of residence?

5. □ Dk

6. □ Refuse

14. When [fill Name(s)/you] moved here, did [his/her/their/your] housing costs increase, decrease, or stay about the same? Include utilities and mortgage or rent.

1. □ Increase

2. □ Decrease

3. □ Stay the same

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

15. [Is/Are/Did] [fill Name(s)/you] [stay/staying] here because [he/she/they/you] [do/does/did] not have a regular or adequate place to stay due to lack of money or other means of support? (FR Instruction: Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

16. Thinking about the last house, apartment or room where [fill Name(s)/you] lived or stayed for more than a month, why did [he/she/they/you] leave that place of residence? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)  

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Asked to leave by household

4. □ Lost to foreclosure

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ The unit was condemned, destroyed, or otherwise uninhabitable

7. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

8. □ There was violence in household

9. □ It was too crowded

10. □ There was too much conflict

11. □ Went into a treatment program or institution

12. □ Went to jail or prison

13. □ Other (specify)__________________________________

14. □ Dk

15. □ Refuse

17. Did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep at that place of residence the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here?

1. □ Yes – Skip to question 20

2. □ No

3. □ Dk – Skip to question 20

4. □ Refuse – Skip to question 20

18. Where did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their/your] own place

2. □ With relatives

3. □ With friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they/you] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ In a shelter or other homeless program facility

7. □ In foster care

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, or car)

9. □In an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)__________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

19. Why did [fill Name(s)/you] leave the place where [he/she/they/you] slept the night before coming here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Lost to foreclosure

4. □ Asked to leave by others in the home

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

7. □ There was violence in the household

8. □ It was too crowded

9. □ There was too much conflict

10. □ Discharged/released from an institution or prison

11. □ Traveling to arrive here

12. □ Other reason (specify)______________________________________

13. □ Dk

14. □ Refuse

20. How long [did/do] you expect [fill Name(s)/ skip fill] to live or stay in this home? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Less than 2 weeks

2. □ About 2 to 4 weeks

3. □ About 1 to 3 months

4. □ About 4 to 6 months

5. □ About 7 months to 1 year

6. □ Permanently or more than 12 months

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

Box 2

• If someone has moved out of the home (question 8 is “yes”), ask questions 21 and 22 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move out date.

• Otherwise, skip to Box 3.

21. Why [do/does ] [fill Name(s)] no longer live here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Moved away on [his/her/their] own initiative

2. □ Moved away at request of others in the household

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

22. Where did [he/she/they] move? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their] own place

2. □ Into the home of relatives

3. □ Into the home of friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ To foster care

7. □ To a shelter or other homeless program facility

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, car)

9. □ To an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)______________________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

BOX 3

• If the answer to question 3 is 2 (rented), continue to question 23.

• If the answer question 3 is 1 (owned), skip to question 31.

• If the answer to question 3 is 3 (no rent), skip to question 40.

23. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/fill renter’s name(s)] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. Earlier you mentioned that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] rent this home. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill renter’s name(s) was] unable to pay [your/the] rent?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 26

4. □ Refuse

24. Did this occur in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 26

4. □ Refuse

25. For how many of the last 3 months [were you/ was fill renter’s name(s)] unable to pay all or part of your rent?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

26. [Have you/ Has fill renter’s name(s)] been threatened with eviction in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 29

4. □ Refuse

27. What was the primary reason for threatened eviction? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Failure or inability to pay rent

2. □ Other violation of lease

3. □ Landlord wants to use the unit for another tenant or purpose, including moving in himself

4. □ Building condemned or due to be demolished

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ Other, specify_________________________________________________

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

28. [Have you/has fill renter’s name(s)] received an actual eviction notice from a court?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

29. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] will have to leave the present housing within the next month because of eviction?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

30. If [you/ fill renter’s name] did have to leave this home, where do you think [you/he/she] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

(FR Instruction: This concludes the renters’ section. Skip to question 40.)

31. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/ fill owner’s name] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s) was] not able to pay all or part of the property taxes that [you/fill owner’s name(s)] owe(s), or has a lien been placed on the home for unpaid income taxes or other taxes?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

32. Do [you/fill owner’s name(s)] have a mortgage or loan of any type on this property? Include regular mortgages, home equity credit lines, and any loan that is secured by the value of the home.

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 40

4. □ Refuse

33. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s)was ] unable to pay the mortgage?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 38

4. □ Refuse

34. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

1. □Yes

   

2. □No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 38

4. □ Refuse

35. For how many of the last 3 months were [you/fill owner’s name(s)] unable to pay all of the mortgage payments?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

36. In the last 3 months, [have you/ has fill owner’s name] received a notice that the mortgage was going to be foreclosed on?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 39

4. □ Refuse

37. [Are you/ Is fill owner’s name] actually in foreclosure now?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

38. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill owner’s name] will have to leave the home within the next month because of foreclosure?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

39. If [you/ fill owner’s name] did have to leave, where do you think [you/he/she] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

40. Now I have some questions about your utility bills. In the last 12 months, has there been a time that you were unable to pay all of your utility bills? By utility bills, I mean electricity, gas, fuel oil, or other fuels, water, sewage, and trash collection.

1. □Yes

2. □No

3. □ Dk End interview

4. □ Refuse

41. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

1. □Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk End interview

4. □ Refuse

42. For how many of the last 3 months were you unable to pay all of your utility bills?

6. □ One month

7. □ Two months

8. □ All three months

9. □ Dk

10. □ Refuse

43. In the past 3 months, have you received a notice that your utilities would be shut off?

5. □ Yes

6. □ No

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

44. In the past 3 months, have you actually had your utilities shut off?

5. □ Yes

6. □ No

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

Attachment B – 2013 American Housing Survey Doubling Up Module Final Recommendations

• Ask questions 1 and 2 for one household member before moving to the next person.

• Enter names and sexes on roster sheet.

1. Now I will ask you some questions about the people who live here. What are the names of all persons living or staying here? Start with the name of the person, or one of the persons, who owns or rents the home. (FR Instruction: List names on roster.)

2. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in question 1.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

3. Is your home

(FR Instruction: Read categories until “yes” reply is received.)

1. □ Owned?

2. □ Rented?

3. □ Occupied without payment of rent? – Skip to question 5

4. In whose name is this home [fill with answer to question 3]?

(FR Instruction: Place an asterisk (*) next to owners’/renters’ name(s) on Household Roster)

5. I have listed [read roster names]. Have any of these people moved into the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved in without a parent or guardian.

FR Instruction: If roster suggests a one-person household, read: Did you move into the home in the last 12 months?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No—Skip to question 8

6. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Mark all that apply on the roster sheet. Ask question 7 for each person marked.)

7. When did [fill Name] move in?

(FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet.)

8. Has anyone moved out of the home in the last 12 months? Please include anyone who stayed in the home for at least 2 weeks who did not have some other place where they usually live, and minors who moved out without a parent or guardian.

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and someone has moved in (question 5 is “yes”), skip to Box 1.

• If “No,” “Dk,” or “Refuse” and no one has moved in (question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 3.

9. Who was that?

(FR instruction: Enter name(s) on roster sheet. Ask questions 10 and 11 for each person listed.)

10. What is [fill Name]’s sex? (FR Instruction: If not obvious, ask for each person listed in question 9.)

1. □ Male

2. □ Female

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

11. Ask for each person listed on roster: Has [fill Name] lived in this household for less than 12 months? (FR instruction: If yes, then for each ask Question 12.

12. Ask for each yes in Q 11: When did [fill Name] move in? (FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet, ‘D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal.)

13. Ask for each yes in Q 11: When did [fill Name] move out? (FR instruction: Enter month & year on roster sheet, ‘D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal.)

14. If more than one person moved out in the same month, ask: Did [fill names] move to the same place?

Box 1

• If no one has moved into the home (question 5 is “no”), skip to Box 2.

• Otherwise, ask questions 14 through 22 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move in date. Do not ask of or about everyone who has moved into the home.

15. Now we have some questions about the place where [fill Name(s)/you] lived before moving here. What state did [fill Name(s)/you] live in just before moving here?

(FR instruction: Enter state on roster sheet, ‘ D’ for don’t know, or ‘R’ for refusal. If more than one person, ask about the people as a group, not individuals.)

16. Was that residence

(FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ A house?

2. □ An apartment?

3. □ A manufactured or mobile home?

4. □ Some other type of residence?

5. □ Dk

6. □ Refuse

17. [Is/Are/Did] [fill Name(s)/you] [stay/staying] here because [he/she/they/you] [do/does/did] not have a regular or adequate place to stay due to lack of money or other means of support? (FR Instruction: Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

18. Thinking about the last house, apartment or room where [fill Name(s)/you] lived or stayed for more than a month, why did [he/she/they/you] leave that place of residence? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)  

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Asked to leave by household

4. □ Lost to foreclosure

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ The unit was condemned, destroyed, or otherwise uninhabitable

7. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

8. □ There was violence in household

9. □ It was too crowded

10. □ There was too much conflict among household members

11. □ Went into a treatment program or institution

12. □ Went to jail or prison

13. □ Other (specify)__________________________________

14. □ Dk

15. □ Refuse

19. Did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep at that place of residence the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here?

1. □ Yes – Skip to question 22

2. □ No

3. □ Dk – Skip to question 22

4. □ Refuse – Skip to question 22

20. Where did [fill Name(s)/you] sleep the night before [he/she/they/you] came to stay here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their/your] own place

2. □ With relatives

3. □ With friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they/you] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ In a shelter or other homeless program facility

7. □ In foster care

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, or car)

9. □In an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)__________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

21. Why did [fill Name(s)/you] leave the place where [he/she/they/you] slept the night before coming here? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Mark all that apply.)

1. □ Could not afford to keep it—left voluntarily

2. □ Eviction

3. □ Lost to foreclosure

4. □ Asked to leave by others in the home

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ There was a major change in family (divorce, death, separation)

7. □ There was violence in the household

8. □ It was too crowded

9. □ There was too much conflict among household members

10. □ Discharged/released from an institution or prison

11. □ Traveling to arrive here

12. □ Other reason (specify)______________________________________

13. □ Dk

14. □ Refuse

22. How long [did/do] you expect [fill Name(s)/ skip fill] to live or stay in this home? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories. Fill ‘did’ if person no longer lives in the home, or ‘do’ if they currently live there.)

1. □ Less than 2 weeks

2. □ About 2 to 4 weeks

3. □ About 1 to 3 months

4. □ About 4 to 6 months

5. □ About 7 months to 1 year

6. □ Permanently or more than 12 months

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

Box 2

• If someone has moved out of the home (question 8 is “yes”), ask questions 23 and 24 of or about the person or persons with the most recent move out date.*

• Otherwise, skip to Box 3.

*No specific wording was recommended, but the sponsor was asked to provide further instructions for individual out-movers with the same move out date.

23. Why did [Fill Name(s)] move out on [Fill most recent move out date]?

1. □ Moved away on [his/her/their] own initiative

2. □ Moved away at request of others in the household

3. □ Some other reason (specify) ________________________________

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

FR Note: Recode “Some other reason” responses into one of the first two categories when appropriate.

24. Where did [he/she/they] move? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ [His/her/their] own place

2. □ Into the home of relatives

3. □ Into the home of friends

4. □ Hotel/motel [he/she/they] paid for

5. □ Student or military dormitories, barracks, or similar location

6. □ To foster care

7. □ To a shelter or other homeless program facility

8. □ Place not meant for habitation (e.g. park, sidewalk, abandoned building, car)

9. □ To an institution or treatment program, such as a hospital, nursing home, jail or prison

10. □ Other (specify)______________________________________________________

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse

BOX 3

• If the answer to question 3 is 2 (rented), continue to question 25.

• If the answer question 3 is 1 (owned), skip to question 33.

• If the answer to question 3 is 3 (no rent), skip to question 42.

25. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/fill renter’s name(s)] personally, but to provide an idea of housing trends in America. Earlier you mentioned that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] rent this home. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill renter’s name(s) was] unable to pay [your/the] rent?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 28

4. □ Refuse

26. Did this occur in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 28

4. □ Refuse

27. For how many of the last 3 months [were you/ was fill renter’s name(s)] unable to pay all or part of your rent?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

28. [Have you/ Has fill renter’s name(s)] been threatened with eviction in the last 3 months?

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 31

4. □ Refuse

29. What was the primary reason for threatened eviction? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Failure or inability to pay rent

2. □ Other violation of lease

3. □ Landlord wants to use the unit for another tenant or purpose, including moving in himself

4. □ Building condemned or due to be demolished

5. □ Landlord was foreclosed upon

6. □ Other, specify_________________________________________________

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

30. [Have you/has fill renter’s name(s)] received an actual eviction notice from a court?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

31. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill renter’s name(s)] will have to leave the present housing within the next month because of eviction?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

32. If [you/ fill renter’s name] did have to leave this home, where do you think [you/he/she] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

(FR Instruction: This concludes the renters’ section. Skip to question 42.)

33. Now I have some questions about the home. Please keep in mind that these questions are not to collect information on [you/ fill owner’s name] personally, but provide an idea of housing trends in America. Do [you/fill owner’s name(s)] have a mortgage or loan of any type on this property? Include regular mortgages, home equity credit lines, and any loan that is secured by the value of the home.

1. □ Yes

   

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 42

4. □ Refuse

34. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s)was ] unable to pay the mortgage?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 40

4. □ Refuse

35. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

1. □Yes,

   

2. □No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 40

4. □ Refuse

36. For how many of the last 3 months were [you/fill owner’s name(s)] unable to pay all of the mortgage payments?*

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

* No specific wording was recommended, but the sponsor was asked to provide alternative wording to clarify the phrase “unable to pay.”

37. In the last 3 months, [have you/ has fill owner’s name] received a notice that the mortgage was going to be foreclosed on?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk Skip to question 42

4. □ Refuse

38. [Are you/ Is fill owner’s name] actually in foreclosure now?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

39. How likely do you think it is that [you/fill owner’s name] will have to leave the home within the next month because of foreclosure?

1. □ Certain or almost certain

2. □ Very likely

3. □ Somewhat likely

4. □ Not very likely

5. □ Not likely at all

6. □ Dk

7. □ Refuse

40. If [you/ fill owner’s name/ you and other household members] did have to leave, where do you think [you/he/she/you all] would go? (FR Instruction: Read all answer categories.)

1. □ Would probably get a different place of [your/their] own to live in

2. □ Would probably move in with friends

3. □ Would probably move in with family

4. □ Would probably have to split up and go to different places (FR Instruction: Do not read category 4 if only one person lives in the home.)

5. □ Would probably go to a shelter

6. □ Not sure what [you/they] would do

7. □ Dk

8. □ Refuse

41. In the last 12 months, has there been a time when [you were/fill owner’s name(s) was] not able to pay all or part of the property taxes that [you/fill owner’s name(s)] owe(s), or has a lien been placed on the home for unpaid income taxes other taxes, or some other reason?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

42. Now I have some questions about your utility bills. In the last 12 months, has there been a time that [you/owner’s name/renter’s name] were unable to pay all of your utility bills? By utility bills, I mean electricity, gas, fuel oil, or other fuels, water, sewage, and trash collection.*

1. □Yes

2. □No

3. □ Dk End interview

4. □ Refuse

* No specific wording was recommended, but the sponsor was asked to provide alternative wording to clarify the phrase “unable to pay.”

43. Did any of these difficulties occur in the last 3 months?

1. □Yes

2. □No

3. □ Dk End interview

4. □ Refuse

44. For how many of the last 3 months were you unable to pay all of your utility bills?

1. □ One month

2. □ Two months

3. □ All three months

4. □ Dk

5. □ Refuse

45. In the past 3 months, have you received a notice that your utilities would be shut off?

1. □ Yes

2. □ No

3. □ Dk

4. □ Refuse

46. In the past 3 months, have you actually had your utilities shut off?

9. □ Yes

10. □ No

11. □ Dk

12. □ Refuse