Project Description

HUD’s Rent Reform Demonstration gives participating housing agencies the opportunity to adopt new policies on a trial basis and to learn from a careful evaluation whether they achieve benefits for tenants and the housing agency. The primary goal of the randomized controlled trial study is to test the effects of an alternative rent policy on voucher holders and the Moving to Work (MTW) public housing authorities (PHAs) that issue them. HUD wants to learn how to improve the Housing Choice Voucher Program to ensure that:
• voucher recipients who work are more likely to succeed;
• the voucher program is simplified and less expensive to administer; and
• that more families in need can access housing assistance.

The long-term follow-up survey sample size is 6,659, across 4 locales—San Antonio, TX; Louisville and Lexington, KY; and Washington D.C. DIR developed the survey using the RRD Baseline Information Form (BIF), other existing (and OMB approved) HUD instruments, and/or other federal data collection instruments (e.g. Census, American Housing Survey, American Community Survey, National Health Interview Survey, etc.) DIR will implement a mixed-mode methodology—a web and telephone option, augmented by a field follow-up for the hardest to reach and most reluctant respondents.

DIR is working in collaboration with HUD and MDRC—HUD’s evaluation contractor—to ensure the survey and resulting data are aligned with HUD’s analysis and reporting needs.