Update from HUD and Census on 2015 PUFs Release

Update from HUD and Census on 2015 PUFs Release

HUD and Census continue to feel confident we will publish the 2015 AHS Public Use Files (PUFs) no later than March 31, 2017. We will release one PUF for the Integrated National Sample (includes top 15 metropolitan areas and HUD oversample) and one PUF that includes the 10 Independent Metropolitan Area Samples.

Due to the issues discussed below, HUD and Census anticipate releasing a second version of the PUFs which will include additional variables, but at this time, we do not have a definitive release date. However, it is important to note that we do not anticipate revising any data released in the initial PUFs unless users discover errors that require correction. The second version of the PUFs will include the initial release plus additional variables.

Geography on the initial 2015 PUFs

For the initial release of the Integrated National Sample PUF, the only geographic indicators are Census Division and the specific names of the 15 largest metropolitan areas. In a future version of the Integrated National Sample PUF we anticipate adding a universal "Metro/Non-metro" indicator. However, we do not anticipate adding any additional geographic indicators.

For the initial and any subsequent release of the Independent Metropolitan Area Samples PUF, the only geographic indicator is the specific name of the metropolitan area.

Other items not on the initial 2015 PUFs

Due to disclosure avoidance procedures, there are several variables that will not be included in the initial release of the PUFs. These include, but are not limited to:
 -A flag indicating receipt of HUD assistance, as determined through a data match (self-reported receipt of assistance will be available).
 -All mortgage details, except for overall payment amount.
 -All home purchase details, such as sales price and year bought.
 -HUD Income Limits and Fair Market Rents.
 -Certain neighborhood features, such as flags for "waterfront property" and "single family homes nearby."

A future version of the PUFs may include these variables. We will update the AHS user community in April/May regarding future plans to include these variables.

Upcoming Additions to the 2015 Table Creator

AHS Table Creator users may have noticed certain functionality missing for 2015 data. Most notably, users cannot cross-tabulate 2015 data by HUD subsidy status or various geographic indicators such as urban area status or metropolitan area status. The HUD subsidy functionality will be added as soon as HUD publishes its Worst Case Needs report, which we expect to be published this spring. We do not have a timeline for adding additional geographic indicators, but work is underway.