Research Projects Affordable Housing
Understanding Opt-Outs From Subsidized Housing Programs
In partnership with federal, state and city housing agencies, the Furman Center created a database containing physical and financial information on the nearly 235,000 units of privately-owned, subsidized affordable rental housing in New York City developed with HUD financing, insurance, or project-based rental subsidies; New York City or State Mitchell-Lama financing; or the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. We released a report on the State of Subsidized Housing in New York City in September 2011, and are examining current and historical data to explore why certain owners opted-out of the Mitchell-Lama program, while others decided to remain in. This research will help us begin to develop a system to predict which buildings are most likely to exit the Mitchell-Lama program going forward, and suggest when and how government should provide incentives for buildings to remain in the program. This project is the first in a series of research projects undertaken to better understand how to most effectively preserve the affordability of other subsidized housing portfolios, including HUD Assisted and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit developments.
Utilities And Subsidized Housing: How Does Who Pays The Bills Affect Energy Consumption
Incentives for energy conservation or consumption by landlords and tenants in rental housing vary depending on which party directly pays the utility bills. In subsidized housing, energy expenditures and incentives to conserve also vary based on program rules and federal reimbursement payments. The Furman Center is identifying the energy reimbursement rules and associated landlord and tenant incentives across a variety of federal housing subsidy programs. We also are using the American Housing Survey to examine differences in the residential energy expenditures of subsidized and unsubsidized low-income tenants who directly pay their utilities.
What Is The Profile Of The Residents In Low-Income Tax Credit Buildings?
For policymakers to assess the efficacy of various housing programs, it is critical to understand the demographic characteristics of households helped by each program. This project uses never before available administrative data state housing finance agencies submitted to HUD in 2009 on nearly 400,000 households living in 5,900 properties in 26 states to examine income, race, and rent burden among these tenants. We also compare the demographics and income profiles of tax credit tenants to those in HUD tenant and project-based subsidy programs, and examine the crossover between the subsidy programs. This analysis is critical to understanding whether the tax credit program serves the lowest income households and the degree to which it fosters or undermines economic and racial integration, in comparison to other types of housing subsidies.
Where Do Tenants Move After Opt-Outs
In New York City, more than 10 percent of the nearly 700 properties that received a HUD project-based rental subsidy have opted out of federal assistance. Further, within the next five years, over 50 percent of the remaining properties with a HUD project based rental subsidy will reach a point where the owner can choose to opt out of the program. In partnership with HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research, we will match tenant voucher data to the Subsidized Housing Information Project database to examine tenants’ voucher use and decisions about whether and where to move. The results of the study will help us assess the benefits of place-based preservation efforts and better understand tenants’ mobility and housing decisions, especially in strong rental markets.
