This research project is designed to produce an index for every Census tract and block group in the United States plus Puerto Rico using multiple criteria measuring the housing, demographic, and economic conditions of each tract. The index identifies each tract’s and each block group’s potential opportunity for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) holders seeking housing. This opportunity is to estimate each neighborhood’s likelihood to provide high quality housing and neighborhood conditions. The index is intended to be used by Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to help voucher holders identify neighborhoods (variously defined as Census Tracts or Block Groups) that have relatively low poverty rates, an available stock of rental units offered at rents at or below Fair Market Rent limits, a high level of employment and educational opportunities for HCV holders, and a relatively low density of households who receive housing assistance from the HCV as well as other programs.

The indexes are each available in three formats: SPSS, SAS and Excel.
The report that accompanies these indexes explains the criteria used to identify “opportunity neighborhoods” and describes the distribution of assisted housing across Census Tracts and Block Groups that fit the criteria.

Indexes Using Block Group and Tract Data:
HCV Block Group Data (.zip, 2.06 MB)
HCV Tract Data (.zip, 713 KB)