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AHS: Codebook and 2003 Description

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The new AHS codebook (version 1.60b) is now available for download from HUD USER at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs.html . You can find links to this from most AHS pages (one will be added to the 2003 page shortly). This new version of the codebook documents the changes in the 2003 survey and adds some enhancements that we hope will make the codebook more usefult to you. My thanks to Econometrica, Inc. and ICF Consulting, who produced the codebook under contract with HUD.

Below is the official Census Bureau description of the major changes in the 2003 AHS. (If your email client does bad things to the table at the end, the same information will be added to the 2003 web page on HUD USER shortly.)

Race:

In 2003, multiple race classifications were introduced for which respondents, for the first time, could classify themselves in more than one race category, and the “other” category was eliminated in the edit of the answer category.

People were asked to respond to the question on race by indicating one or more of six race categories. The six race categories include:

White
Black or African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Some Other Race (this category is not read or displayed to the respondent)

Respondents who chose only one race are referred to as the race alone population. Respondents who chose more than one of the race categories are referred to as the Two or more race population. The 2003 edits eliminated the “other” race category. The 2003 American Housing Survey uses the complete Current Population Survey persons’ edits. These edits do not allow “other” entries in race, but allocate one of the five specified response categories to those people reporting "other" race.

Previously many Hispanic householders (about 30 percent in 2001) stated that they were "other race," and 78 percent of the "other" race householders in 2001 were Hispanic. In 2003, although people may have reported themselves as "other" race, the edits allocated them to a different race category. So while over 7,000 people, 6,100 of whom were Hispanic, said they were "other" race, the edits assigned a category of "white only" to 92 percent of the Hispanics who had reported "other race." However, this ratio corresponds to what Hispanics say who do report a race category.

Weighting:

In 2003, the independent estimates (control totals) used to produce the weights are based on the Census 2000 with an estimate of change since then. This 2000-based weighting produces, on average, estimates that are about 1.0 percent lower then 1990-based weighting.

The 2003 AHS-N estimates are not available using 1990-based weighting. For comparative purposes 2001 data were produced using 2000-based weighting (the original data products used 1990-based weighting). As can be seen in the table below, the switch from 1990-based to 2000-based weighting produced a 1.0 percent lower estimate for 2001 at the United States level. The effect of the weighting change ranged from a 2 percent drop in the West to 2 tenths of a percent increase in the Northeast. Detailed 2001 AHS-N data using 2000-based weighting are available from the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, U. S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 20233-8500 (301-763-3235).

Table. Total Housing Units in 2001 from the American Housing Survey Using 1990-based and 2000-based Weighting

Area 2000-based weighting 1990-based weighting Difference Percent
(revised) (as published) Difference

United States 118,196,000 119,117,000 -921,000 -1.0

Northeast 22,382,000 22,347,000 35,000 0.2
Midwest 27,396,000 27,748,000 -352,000 -1.3
South 43,466,000 43,571,000 -105,000 -0.2
West 24,953,000 25,450,000 -497,000 -2.0

Dav Vandenbroucke
Economist
U.S. Dept. HUD
david_a._vandenbroucke@hud.gov
202-708-1060 ext. 5890