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Rehabilitation Data Needs: A Building Industry Forum

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Americans spend approximately $180 billion a year to
rehabilitate and maintain the nation's $10 trillion
housing stock. As you ponder just how many zeros and
more importantly, how much of our nation's wealth these
figures actually represent, consider this: reliable
information on how, where, and why these funds are
expended is scarce at best, and often, altogether
nonexistent. And while product manufacturers and builders
have access to information on market share and trends in
home improvement, data sources about home repairs and
rehabilitation activities do not adequately meet the
needs of policymakers, academic researchers, or industry
planners.

To gather input about the need for better data about home
improvement activities, HUD held a forum in November 2001
to discuss current sources of data, areas where
additional information is needed, and strategies for how
best to collect this data. A new report from HUD's Office
of Policy Development and Research, "Rehabilitation Data
Needs: A Building Industry Forum," contains the text of
panelists' presentations and summarizes participant
comments.

Over 40 representatives from government, industry, and
research organizations attended four moderated
presentations. Panel discussions, led by experts in the
field, focused on four key areas:

Panel One: Geographical Dimensions of Remodeling
This panel reviewed existing rehabilitation data sources
that provide locational information. Participants also
considered the basis of need and discussed strategies for
collecting market information at the transaction level so
that data might be placed in a local context.

Panel Two: Rental Housing
This panel reviewed the limited data sources that exist
on rental housing rehabilitation and considered possible
means of generating market interest in developing
reliable data useful to both industry and public
entities. Participants also proposed effective
strategies for determining rehabilitation spending on
rental housing stock.

Panel Three: Financing Rehabilitation Activity/Government
Rehabilitation Programs/Insurance
This panel reviewed the challenges presented by a variety
of rehabilitation financing methods, including use of
household savings, equity loans, mortgage refinance,
credit card debt, and public grants.

Panel Four: Evaluation of Data Sources and Strategies
This panel integrated the major issues surrounding
rehabilitation and suggested specific next steps in
developing data that will begin to answer some critical
questions about the rehabilitation industry.

The report also includes the Forum's recommendations to
develop additional data sources that more accurately
depict the current status of housing rehabilitation in
the U.S. Key conclusions from the four presentations are
included in the report.


You can view or download a PDF version of Rehabilitation
Data Needs: A Building Industry Forum on line at
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/hsgfin/rehabilitation_data.html
or if you'd prefer, purchase the print
version through HUD USER for just $5 by calling 1-800-
245-2691.

Please note that HUD USER has moved. You may wish to
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Washington, DC 20026-3268 (updated)
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