Screening Call Script

THE URBAN INSTITUTE 2100 M STREET, N.W. / WASHINGTON D.C. 20037

HDS-LGT: Focus Groups

SCREENING CALL SCRIPT

Hello. Thanks for responding to our flier. My name is NAME and I work for the Urban Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization in Washington, DC. We are conducting a study for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on people’s experiences when searching for rental housing.

You are invited to be considered for participation in a group discussion with other residents of the [region name] and staff from the Urban Institute. This discussion, or focus group, will cover a few of topics, such as: how people find out about available rental units, information that home seekers might share with housing providers, and safety measures people take when viewing rental properties.

There are a few questions I need to ask you to find out if you are eligible to participate in our focus group.

Can you please tell me your full name?

Record name.

Do you work in the housing profession (property manager, leasing agent, real estate agent, etc.)?

Record response.

If caller says yes: Explain that we are looking for members of the general public with no special knowledge or expertise related to housing. Thank them for their time and let them know that they are not eligible for our focus group.

If caller says no, continue.

Do you identify as: lesbian, straight woman; gay man, straight man?

Record sexual orientation.

If caller says yes or no, continue.

Do you identify as a: transgender woman, transgender man? Gender queer? Female not transgender, male not transgender?

Record gender identity.

If caller is not a member of one of our target groups: Explain that we are looking for members of the general public who identify as either lesbian, gay, heterosexual, transgender or gender queer. Thank them for their time and let them know that they are not eligible for our focus group.

In what year were you born?

If caller does not want to state birth year, ask: Are you 18 years old or older?

Record age.

If caller was born after 1995 / is younger than 18 years old, explain that we are only talking with residents 18 years old and older. Thank them for their time and let them know that they are not eligible for our focus group.

If responses indicate that the caller does not work in the housing industry, identifies as a member of one of our target groups, and is at least 18 years of age, continue

Thank you for your responses.

We are planning a focus group discussion so that we can better understand the how people search for housing. The focus group is scheduled for [DATE] at [TIME] at [LOCATION]. It will last 1.5 hours and you will be given a gift card or cash in the amount of $20 for your time.

Are you available at that time?

Record yes or no response.

Can you get to that location?

Record yes or no response.

Is this something you might be interested in?

Record yes or no response.

If the caller says no, thank them for their time.

If the caller says maybe or yes, let them know more about the focus group.

I’d be happy to tell you more about the focus group. First, I should let you know that they are completely voluntary. Your privacy, safety, and voluntary option to participate are top priorities. Urban Institute staff will take notes during the discussion; however, participant names will not be included in the notes to prevent inadvertent identification of participants. In other words, comments you might make during the focus group will not be linked with your name. Do you have any questions about the focus group or the types of questions that will be asked?

ADDRESS QUESTIONS

If the caller asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, let them know that you will call them back with the information.

To confirm your participation, can you please provide some information?

Ask for or confirm telephone number

Ask for or confirm email address

Provide phone number for any changes (202-xxx-xxxx)

Thank you for agreeing to participate in our focus group. We look forward to talking to you on [DATE]. We’ll call or email you the day before to remind you of our focus group. Good-bye.