Final - 06_Baseline Web Survey Comparison PHA

Comparison PHA Survey: Baseline

MTW Evaluation: Landlord Incentives

Last Modified: October 5, 2022

Study Overview and Introduction to Survey

Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this brief survey. HUD has hired Abt Associates to study the Moving to Work (MTW) – Landlord Incentives Cohort. PHAs in this MTW cohort are given extra tools to try to increase landlords’ acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers.

Your PHA has been selected for the study so we can understand efforts that PHAs without MTW designation are making to increase landlord acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers in their communities. The goal of this study is to better understand how different factors, including local market conditions and PHA activities, influence landlord’s willingness to rent to voucher holders.

In this survey, we will ask you about your agency’s activities related to landlord recruitment, retention, and engagement. We will use this information to help us understand the activities of PHAs like yours and how these compare with the activities of PHAs in the MTW cohort.

We will share the findings from this survey with HUD and PHAs to help improve the Housing Choice Voucher Program. We may share your responses with HUD, but we will remove your name and your agency’s name and PHA code. Your responses will be used for research purposes only, not for compliance monitoring or funding determinations. 

This survey has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The OMB control number is XXXX-XXXX, expiring XX-XX-XXXX. We expect the survey to take less than 30 minutes to complete.

By completing this survey, you consent to participate in this study. Feel free to share the survey with other staff as needed to answer the questions. If you cannot or do not want to answer a question, you may skip it and move to the next one.

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Nishi Kumar, PHA Survey Lead, at [email protected] or 617-520-2680.

Thank you for completing the survey!

Public Reporting Burden for this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per respondent, including time to review the information in the Study Overview and Introduction to the Survey. The MTW Evaluation: Landlord Incentives is a study of the implementation and impacts of providing selected incentives to landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. This information is being collected to establish a baseline of PHA activities that could affect landlord participation in the HCV program. PHAs are not required to respond. The information requested is protected and held confidential in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552a (Privacy Act of 1974) and OMB Circular No. A-130.

Survey Questions

Part A: Contact Information

1. Please confirm your PHA information and provide your contact information below.

• PHA Name: [prepopulated]

• PHA Code: [prepopulated]

• Staff Contact Name: _____

• Staff Contact Position: _____

• Staff Contact Phone: _____

• Staff Contact Email: _____

Part B: PHA Background

2. Does your agency maintain a list of rental properties or landlords that accept vouchers within your jurisdiction?

• Yes

• No (Skip to Q4)

3. What format is this list in?

• Online – Please provide the URL for the online listings:

• Electronic spreadsheet or word document – Please attach:

• Hard copy list – Please scan and attach a copy in PDF format:

• Other – Please describe: _____

4. In your PHA’s service area, is there any state law or local ordinance that prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants with a voucher?

• Yes

• No

5. How many regular tenant-based vouchers did your agency issue between [DATE] and [DATE]? (Do not include project-based vouchers or special programs like HUD-VASH, Mainstream Vouchers, Family Unification Program, or EHVs.) _____

6. Out of the regular tenant-based vouchers issued between [DATE] and [DATE], how many have resulted in lease-up as of 180 days after voucher issuance? (Do not include project-based vouchers or special programs like HUD-VASH, Mainstream Vouchers, Family Unification Program, or EHVs.) _____

Part C: Landlord Relationships & Incentives

7. Is your agency currently encountering any of the following challenges related to recruiting or retaining landlords for the HCV program? Check all that apply.

• Payment standards not competitive with market rents

• Limited supply of rental housing

• Poor housing quality/available rentals do not meet inspection standards

• Negative perceptions of HCV tenants among landlords

• Negative perceptions of PHA or HUD among landlords

• Landlord concerns about HCV inspection process

• Landlord concerns about delays in lease-up

• Landlord concerns about evictions or other recourse for lease violations

• Landlord concerns about timeliness of payments

• Other - please describe: _____

8. Does your agency currently provide any of the following resources/supports to engage landlords? Check all that apply.

• Dedicated landlord liaison

• Landlord advisory board

• Landlord-facing website

• Partnerships with landlord industry groups

• Direct deposit of rental payments to landlords

• Other - please describe: _____

9. Does your agency base rents on Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMR) or Fair Market Rents (FMR)?

• SAFMR (skip to Q11)

• FMR

10. Based on your FMR, what is highest current payment standard (on average if different by bedroom size)?

• _____% of FMR (skip to Q12)

11. Based on your SAFMR, what is your agency’s:

• Lowest payment standard: _____% of SAFMR

• Highest payment standard: _____% of SAFMR

12. Does your PHA plan to change the payment standard in the next fiscal year?

• Yes

• No (skip to Q14)

13. If yes, what do you plan to change the payment standard to?

• _____% of FMR

• Range from ____% to _____ % of SAFMR

14. Does your PHA currently offer, or plan to offer in the next fiscal year, any of the following to increase landlord participation in HCV? Check all that apply.

• Inspection flexibilities (e.g. alternate schedule, pre-qualifying units)

• Direct financial incentives (e.g. signing bonus, damage claim reimbursement)

• Other - please describe: _____

NOTE: Parts D, E, and F will only appear if the corresponding option Q14 is checked.

Part D Inspection or Administrative Flexibilities (if applicable)

15. You indicated that your agency has implemented inspection or administrative flexibilities to increase landlord participation in the HCV Program. Does your agency offer (or plan to offer) any of the following flexibilities? Check all that apply.

• Pre-inspecting units for HQS approval before a tenant is identified

• Changing or reducing the frequency of HQS inspections

• Waiving the mandatory initial inspection

• Other - please describe: _____

16. (Repeat for each option selected in Q15): Please tell us more about this policy.

• Describe which units or landlords are eligible (for example, new units only or certain neighborhoods only): _____

• Describe the frequency or timing of the policy (for example, how many days pre-inspection remains valid; frequency of inspections under alternate schedule; etc.): _____

• Describe any other requirements under this policy: _____

• How many units received this flexibility in the most recent fiscal year? ___

17. (Repeat for each option selected in Q15): When was this policy active? [Select MM/YY for start and end date]

18. (Repeat for each option selected in Q15): Did your agency seek a HUD waiver to implement this policy?

• Yes

• No

Part E: Financial Incentives (if applicable)

19. You indicated that your agency has implemented direct financial incentives for landlords. Does your agency offer (or plan to offer) any of the following? Check all that apply.

• Payments for vacancy loss during turnover

• Reimbursement for tenant-caused damages

• Signing bonus for new landlords

• Other – Please describe: _____

20. (Repeat for each option selected in Q19): Please describe this policy in more detail.

• Describe the maximum payment that can be made under this policy for each unit or each landlord: _____

• Describe which units or landlords are eligible for this incentive (for example, new units only or certain neighborhoods only): _____

• Describe any other requirements for landlords to receive this incentive: _____

• How many payments were made under this policy in the most recent fiscal year? _____

• What is the total value of payments made under this policy in the most recent fiscal year? _____

21. (Repeat for each option selected in Q19): When was this policy active? [Select MM/YY for start and end date]

22. (Repeat for each option selected in Q19): Did your agency seek a HUD waiver to implement this incentive?

• Yes

• No

23. (Repeat for each option selected in Q19): What source or sources of funding are you using for this incentive? Check all that apply.

• Admin Fee or Admin Fee reserves

• Other (non-admin fee) reserves

• Emergency Rental Assistance Program

• Community Development Block Grant

• State or local funding (including CARES or ARPA relief funds)

• Philanthropic funding

• Other - please describe: _____

Part F: Other Landlord Incentives (if applicable)

24. You indicated your agency is offering or plans to offer other incentives (other than financial incentives and/or administrative flexibilities ) to increase landlord participation in HCV. Please tell us more about these incentives. Please indicate which landlords/units are eligible, when the incentive was (or will be) implemented, whether the incentive requires a HUD waiver, the maximum value of the incentive (if applicable), the number of payments and total value of payments made in the past fiscal year (if applicable), and any other details to help us understand the incentive.

Part G: Other

25. Are there any other recent or planned program changes or activities that might impact landlord participation in the HCV program (for example, a new outreach campaign or a new landlord liaison staff)? If so, please describe these changes.

26. Is there anything else you would like to share with the study team about your PHA’s efforts to increase landlord participation in the HCV program?

Thank you for participating in this survey. We plan to collect more in-depth data from some PHAs at a later stage of this research; we may contact you again in the future to request your participation. We appreciate your support in this research.

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