We request clearance for the proposed
questions to be used on the 2021 American Housing Survey (AHS). We
will collect data for the majority of the sample between May 3 and
September 14, 2021. This request is a revision to the currently
approved data collection request for the AHS due to changes in
content and increased sample size. The 2021 data collection
procedures and questionnaire content are similar to the 2019 survey
with the following exceptions: a. Redesign of the Core Mortgage
Module: The purpose of the redesign was to simplify the questions
and streamline the flow of the module. The primary purpose of the
Mortgage module is to measure housing costs to feed into HUD’s
interest of measuring housing affordability. Secondary purposes
include measuring the household’s financial capacity in terms of
access to credit and understanding the sources of financing for
alterations and repairs. b. Removal of Three Supplemental Modules
from the 2019 AHS: The Food Security, Home Accessibility, and
Post-Secondary Education supplemental modules will not be included
in the 2021 survey. c. Conclusion of the Housing Insecurity
Research Module Follow-On: There will not be a Housing Insecurity
Research Module Follow-on module for the 2021 AHS. Analysis
continues on the data collected in the 2019 AHS. d. Reinstatement
of the Delinquent Payments and Notices Supplemental Module: The
Delinquent Payment and Notices module collects data on whether
people had to move due to lack of financial means or other support
and where they would stay if they left the household. This
supplemental module was last deployed in 2017. e. Introduction of
Five New Supplemental Modules: To continue the strategy of
supplemental modules in order to minimize respondent burden and
satisfy widening needs for data content, four new supplemental
modules have been added to the survey – Intent to Move, Expanded
Renter Housing Search, Wildfire Risk, Pets, and Smoking. These
modules collect data on whether the respondent plans to move, the
renter housing search process, housing characteristics that
increase wildfire risk, household pets, and smoke and smoking in
the housing unit. Please refer to the attached items booklet for
the questions in these modules and the entire AHS questionnaire. f.
Sample Split for Supplemental Modules: A split of the survey sample
will be used to maximize the number of supplemental modules that
can be included in the 2021 AHS. Fifty percent of the sample will
be asked the Intent to Move and Expanded Renter Housing Search
modules. The other 50 percent will be asked the Wildfire Risk,
Pets, and Smoking modules. The full sample will receive the
Delinquent Payments and Notices Module. The Wildfire Risk module
will be targeted toward geographical areas at increased risk for
wildfires. g. Nonresponse Bias Incentives Experiment: A proposed
experiment will test whether targeting incentives to units at risk
of nonresponse and likely to introduce bias can lower nonresponse
bias in the integrated national sample. We also request clearance
for the reinterview questions to be used in conjunction with this
survey. We will conduct a second interview at approximately 7
percent of the total addresses in the survey for the purpose of
interviewer quality control. Reinterview questions ask respondents
whether they recall general details from the original interview.
The 2021 reinterview instrument will contain five questions about
the AHS questionnaire. Each respondent will be asked all five
question. We included in this clearance the cost and respondent
burden estimates for the reinterview.
As a longitudinal survey, we
interview our samples periodically to provide intermittent readings
between decennial censuses. The length of time between interviews
is two years on the AHS. Less frequent enumerations would reduce
HUD’s ability to detect changes in worst case housing needs.
Without this ability, the Administration and Congress would be
unable to formulate policy on housing assistance.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Title 12.docx
2021 AHS Contact Letters.pdf
Reinterviews