RRR October 2000 - New Facts about Households Assisted by HUD's Housing Programs

The Office of Policy Development and Research presents this update to previously published summary fact sheets on the characteristics of households in public and assisted housing. This new version uses data available at the end of 1999 to summarize the characteristics of households and to compare households across HUD's housing programs. The following four principal types of housing programs assist these households:

1999 Characteristics of Households in Public and Assisted Housing^a

Public Housing Tenant-Based Section 8 Private Project-Based Section 8 Other Private Project Based^b Total^c

Total households 1,120,000 1,420,000 1,350,000 300,000 4,190,000

Persons per household 2.28 2.76 1.74 1.84 2.24

Race/ethnicity

White non-Hispanic 32% 40% 54% 53% 43%

Black non-Hispanic 47% 41% 31% 31% 39%

Hispanic 19% 16% 11% 11% 15%

Asian 2% 2% 3% 4% 2%

Native American 0% 1% 0% 0% 1%

Household composition

Families with children^d 42% 64% 30% 30% 45%

1 child 15% 21% 13% 14% 16%

2 children 13% 22% 10% 10% 15%

3 or more children 14% 21% 7% 6% 14%

Households without children 58% 36% 70% 70% 55%

Elderly 32% 15% 50% 43% 33%

Persons with disabilities 13% 13% 13% 8% 12%

Other 13% 8% 8% 19% 10%

Primary income source for families with children^e

Wages 43% 46% 50% 79% 49%

Public assistance 38% 36% 26% 8% 31%

Social Security, pensions^f 9% 8% 20% 10% 12%

Economic characteristics for all households

Median income ($) $7,631 $8,663 $8,232 $12,994 $8,550

As % of area median 22% 23% 23% 28% 23%

Average income ($) $9,415 $10,216 $9,094 $14,744 $9,958

As % of area median 25% 25% 27% 30% 26%

Average monthly rent^g ($) $208 $226 $198 $348 $221

^a Changes from previous fact sheets should be interpreted cautiously because of variations in reporting. This fact sheet weights data for PHA-administered programs to control totals.

^b Households in multifamily projects that receive only shallower subsidies, for example, units with interest reduction subsidies under Section 236 but no Section 8 assistance.

^c This total does not include Indian housing and Section 8 moderate rehabilitation. These programs have 0.1 million households each, raising the total of assisted households to 4.3 million.

^d Includes families with children and certain other dependents, regardless of the age or disability status of the head of household.

^e For public housing and Section 8 tenant-based programs, economic statistics exclude households with zero incomes because of suspected reporting problems.

^f For project-based Section 8 and other private project-based, Social Security and pension income includes Supplemental Security Income.

^g For public housing and tenant-based Section 8 programs, not always the actual rent paid by tenants, for example, because of public housing ceiling rents or voucher families renting above or below fair market rent.

Public housing and tenant-based Section 8 data are an October 1999 extract of the Multifamily Tenant Characteristics System (MTCS). Project-based program data are a January 2000 extract of the Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS).

Program totals are based on budget and accounting data. The public housing total is occupied units; other program totals assume full utilization of units.

Income and Rents in Public and Assisted Housing by Household Type and Program (in dollars)

Total With Children^a Elderly With Disabilities Other

Public housing^b

Median income $7,631 $8,007 $7,855 $7,056 $7,062

Average income $9,415 $9,965 $9,265 $7,655 $9,722

Average rent^c $208 $214 $204 $176 $229

Average income for those with wages $14,171 $14,186 $16,469 $13,218 $13,686

Section 8 tenant-based^b

Median income $8,663 $9,654 $8,257 $7,366 $7,948

Average income $10,216 $10,992 $9,142 $8,009 $9,636

Average rent^c $226 $239 $207 $185 $235

Average income for those with wages $14,253 $14,657 $14,146 $12,232 $12,024

Section 8 project-based

Median income $8,232 $7,708 $8,960 $7,387 $6,387

Average income $9,094 $8,989 $9,762 $7,799 $7,312

Average rent^c $198 $195 $206 $178 $189

Average income for those with wages $12,339 $12,844 $14,058 $10,481 $10,621

Other private project-based^d

Median income $12,994 $17,116 $11,099 $7,729 $15,471

Average income $14,744 $18,503 $12,143 $9,007 $17,041

Average rent $348 $425 $290 $230 $407

Average income for those with wages $19,808 $20,745 $19,115 $12,221 $19,244

^a Includes families with children and certain other dependents, regardless of the age or disability status of the head of household.

^b For public housing and tenant-based Section 8 programs, economic statistics exclude households with zero incomes because of suspected reporting problems.

^c For public housing and tenant-based Section 8 programs, not always the actual rent paid by tenants, for example, because of public housing ceiling rents or voucher families renting above or below fair market rent.

^d Households in multifamily projects that receive only shallower subsidies, for example, units with interest reduction subsidies under Section 236 but no Section 8 assistance.