AHS: Worst Case Needs By-Group Updates

Happy Holidays from the AHS team here at HUD!

The AHS Table Creator team successfully released the Worst Case Needs by-group for the 2019 AHS survey data along with other minor changes to prior years.

The following changes were made to the AHS Table Creator:

2019 only

Like 2011-2017, the Worst Case Needs column variable was added to the 2019 Variable 1/Variable 2 drop-down menu. For definitions of Worst Case Needs, please visit Subject Definitions. User impact is high because it provides new estimates that were previously unpublished.

2015 only

New suppression categories were added to the Occupancy/Vacancy Status column variable. This resulted in fewer cells displaying an ‘S,’ which indicates the estimate is suppressed. User impact is medium because it provides new estimates that were previously suppressed.

2011-2019

Housing Unit Characteristics Table:

In the Duration of Vacancy stub, the "Don't know" row label changed to "Not reported" to make the table consistent with other tables. User impact is very low.

In the Homes Currently for Sale or Rent stub, the words "URE units" were added to footnote 2 to make the list of units included more accurate. User impact is low.

Housing Costs Table:

In the Monthly Cost Paid for Homeowner or Renter Insurance stub (2015-2019), footnote 4 was added for consistency. The same footnote was added to the Property Insurance stub (2011-2013), but was numbered as footnote 3. User impact is low.

2015-2019

Housing Unit Characteristics & General Housing Data Tables:

The Foundation Type stub was redesigned to make the "Foundation setup in some other way" row discernable between single-family, attached and detached homes and manufactured/mobile homes. Previously this row included both types of homes. User impact is medium because it provides new estimates that were previously combined.

Housing Costs Table:

In the Monthly Cost Paid for Lot/Land Rent stub, the "Fee paid by owners" row label changed to "Fee paid by occupants" because it includes mobile home renters as well. User impact is very low.

Value, Purchase Price, and Source of Down Payment Table:

Suppression was turned off for the following rows of the Purchase Price and Major Source of Down Payment stubs because they use variables available on the Public Use File: "Home purchased or built", "Received as inheritance or gift", and "Not reported". This resulted in fewer cells displaying an ‘S,’ which indicates the estimate is suppressed. User impact is medium because it provides new estimates that were previously suppressed.

Mortgage Characteristics:

The "No remaining debt" indicator appears in both the Total Remaining Debt Across All Mortgages or Similar Debts and Current Total Loan as Percent of Value stubs, but was not identified as a repeated estimate. That has been corrected and, as a result, more rows may display an 'S,' which indicates the estimate is suppressed. For more information on repeated estimates, visit the Cell Suppression section of the Table Creator Help Guide. User impact is medium because it suppresses estimates that were previously displayed.

Please look out for more American Housing Survey updates in the new year!