OMB AHS15 Supporting Statement PART B

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Universe and Respondent Selection

The 2015 AHS sample will consist of about 122,416 sample units.

• The integrated National sample will be comprised of three parts:

National cases representative of the U.S. and nine divisions	50,011
Subsidized-renter oversample	5,258
Top 15 metro oversample (where National + oversample = 3,000 records per metro area)	30,756
TOTAL	86,025

• The independent metropolitan area sample will consist of 30,391 large metro area supplemental sample units selected from 10 metropolitan areas that include approximately 3,000 units each.

• The bridge sample will consist of 6,000 housing units sampled in 2013.

Please refer to the attached 2015 AHS Sample Design and Weighting document for

detailed statistical methodology.

2. Procedures for Collecting Information

Because the 2015 AHS begins a new longitudinal panel, we expect that a majority of interviews will be conducted through personal visit. However, we will conduct a phone match to retrieve phone numbers that match the sample addresses and attempt to collect the data by telephone interview, when possible.

3. Methods to Maximize Response

Based on the 85.1 percent weighted response rate of the 2013 AHS (86.5 percent unweighted), the Census Bureau expects the 2015 AHS response rate to be 84 percent. If an occupant is reluctant to participate, the FR informs the regional office staff, who sends a follow-up letter explaining the survey in greater detail and urging the occupant's cooperation. A Census Bureau FR or his/her supervisor will contact the occupant again.

4. Testing Procedures

The Census Bureau conducted a test of the interview forms and procedures in September 1983 and again in 1994 and 1995. Based on the results of the tests, HUD made modifications and changes. In 1996, HUD and Census published “American Housing Survey: A Quality Profile,” which documents sampling and nonsampling errors in the AHS, quality control procedures, and the magnitude of errors in AHS estimates (http://www.census.gov/library/publications/1996/demo/h121_95-1.html).

In 2004, HUD and the Census Bureau conducted a major review of the survey questions for neighborhood quality, income, utility costs, and renter subsidies, making changes to each to improve the quality of this information. In October 2004, we tested these changes in a live hot house test held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2010, questions in the updated Mortgage module were cognitively tested by the Center for Survey Measurement (CSM) at the Census Bureau. We determined that more work needed to be done on the module, so we reverted to the 2009 AHS version and flow of questions where the 2011 version fell short.

In 2014, HUD and the Census Bureau conducted an exhaustive review of the core questionnaire content. We revised questions, changed the order, and eliminated some questions based on nonresponse rates and respondent burden. Because of these changes, questions in some of the core modules, e.g., Breakdown, Neighborhood Quality, Equipment, Home Improvement, Recent Movers, Income, and Mortgage, needed to be tested for implementation in the 2015 questionnaire. In 2014, along with this new core content, questions in the new rotating topical modules, Housing Counseling and Arts and Culture, were cognitively tested by CSM. The Census Bureau and HUD reviewed and discussed all of CSM’s recommendations.

5. Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection

HUD consulted the following individuals on the statistical data collection and analysis operation:

Tamara Cole

Associate Directorate for Demographic Programs

U.S. Census Bureau

(301) 763-4665

Statistical Design, Analysis, and Collection

Stephen Ash

Demographic Statistical Methods Division

U.S. Census Bureau

(301) 763-4294

Statistical Design

Attachments