Multidisciplinary Research to Inform Policy

Multidisciplinary Research to Inform Policy

PD&R has developed a Multidisciplinary Research Team (MDRT) vehicle to manage a team of qualified researchers selected for their expertise to produce an array of high quality, short-turnaround research. MDRT researchers use a variety of HUD and external data sources to answer research questions relating to HUD's priority policies and strategic goals. Four studies from this initiative have been released to date:

• Effect of Qualified Action Plan Incentives on the Location of LIHTC Properties, an analysis of whether and how features of state Qualified Allocation Plans shape siting patterns of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit developments.

• Accessibility of America's Housing Stock, a study of accessibility of the U.S. housing stock by housing market characteristics, as well as resident characteristics, using core American Housing Survey (AHS) data and the 2011 AHS topical module on accessibility.

• Picture of Disability and Designated Housing, an investigation into the need and availability of designated accessible housing for persons with disabilities in HUD-assisted housing using administrative data, the American Community Survey, and Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data.

• Multifamily Preservation Study: Opting In, Opting Out, a Decade Later, a study of multifamily housing preservation, rates of prepayment, and opting out of HUD assistance contracts using administrative data.

Another MDRT research study currently underway is an analysis of the housing quality in public and assisted housing using HUD tenant identifiers in the American Housing Survey. For future studies, watch PD&R's Multidiciplinary Research Team Reports web page.