This Information Collection Request
includes the data collection instruments associated with the
administration of the 2025 American Housing Survey. Increasing
field costs and declining response rates have led HUD, starting in
2015, to adopt a continuous data collection model as opposed to the
periodic 5-month data collection every other year. HUD believes
continuous data collection will be more effective, primarily
because: 1) it eliminates the expensive, time-consuming Regional
Office AHS ramp-up costs every two years, and 2) it puts in place a
more experienced AHS workforce with a constant workload. An added
benefit is that we will be able to increase the frequency of
national and metro AHS estimates, allowing for more current
estimates and better comparability to other data sources which
collect annual data (surveys such as the American Community Survey
and key estimates such as homeownership/vacancy rates). The survey
will continue to be longitudinal, interviewing the same housing
unit every two years. The sample will be divided into 12 cohorts
where each cohort has a 2-month data collection period. The 2025
data collection procedures and questionnaire content are similar to
the 2023 survey with the following exceptions: * New data will be
collected in the 2025 AHS core questionnaire with proposed
questions about income (including non-relative income, real estate
transactions, taxes and fees, home improvement, and recent movers).
* Removal of Six Supplemental Modules from the 2023 AHS: The AHS
design includes the inclusion of rotating supplemental topical
modules to meet HUD’s needs for new topical content without
increasing respondent burden. This approach was recommended by the
National Research Council’s 2008 report Rebuilding the Research
Capacity at HUD. With this approach, topical modules from the
previous year of the AHS are removed and replaced with new content.
For this reason, the Power Outage, Heat Risk, Healthy Homes,
Housing Insecurity, Urbanization, and First-Generation Owners
supplemental modules will not be included in the 2025 survey. *
Reinstatement of Home Accessibility and Arts and Culture
Supplemental Modules: The Arts and Culture module, last fielded in
2015, will be administered to half of the sample. The Home
Accessibility module, last fielded in 2019, will be administered to
the full sample. * Introduction of Three New Supplemental Modules:
To continue the strategy of supplemental modules to minimize
respondent burden and satisfy widening needs for data content,
three new supplemental modules have been added to the survey –
Climate Risk and Insurance, Accessory Dwelling Units, and Housing
Costs Roster. These modules collect data on the prevalence of
climate risks, adaption to climate risks, and insurance, the
prevalence of accessory dwelling units, and contributions of
household members to rent/mortgage and utilities payments. Please
refer to Section 2 (Needs and Uses) for more information on these
modules and to the attached items booklet for the specific
questions in these modules and the rest of the AHS questionnaire. *
Demographic Questions on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity:
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Self-Report Questions
will be asked of all adult respondents. Two variations of gender
identity questions will be administered both halves of the AHS
split sample. Wording variations for gender identities are informed
by wording in the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) SOGI Content
Test. * Test of Proxy Questions on Sexual Orientation and Gender
Identity: The respondent will be asked Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity (SOGI) Proxy Questions for all adult household
members in 2023 AHS sample to test item nonresponse. Two variations
of gender identity questions will be administered both halves of
the AHS split sample. Wording variations for gender identities are
informed by wording in the 2024 American Community Survey.
Beginning in 2025, HUD will
adopt a continuous data collection model as opposed to the periodic
5-month data collection every other year. This results in an annual
reduction in overall burden on an annual basis.
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.
2025 AHS 30-Day Notice.pdf
Attachment 4 - Title 12.docx
Reinterviews