A Fair Housing First: Over and Under Representation of Minorities in Oregon Project Based Section 8 Projects.

HUD has begun the long process of posting Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing data in its related tool. 

After looking at data in the tool [see earlier tweet with minority percentages HUD MF and PIH programs for Clackamas County HERE] I realized that 

• For the first time there was some tenant demographic information available at the project level for project based Section 8 projects.   
• The source of that data was the HUD Picture of Subsidized Housing. 

So, I went back in and extracted Oregon project Based Section 8 data from the HUD Picture of Subsidized housing report. For those projects where there was reporting, I compiled the data showing the reported % of minority resident vs. the minority percentage in the relevant census tract.  [There were a number of projects where minority % were not reported].

For those projects with data I divided the two % and arrived at a percentage that shows whether minorities are over or under represented in the tenant population, when compared to the reported census tract minority percentage.

I then did a pivot table (adding place names) and the result is the 8 page PDF HERE and embedded below.  Data is organized by place and then by project name.

I think the important take away is that there is at least SOME tenant demographic data available for project based Section 8, HUD PRAC 202's and 811/s. 

I hope similar information at the project level from OHCS for LIHTC projects will become available in the future.

Caveats: 

• Several PB S 8 projects are not included as they were missing minority %'s.
• HUD PRAC 202's and 811's are not included.
• Data is only as good as the data in the underlying reporting systems, including both tenant data and CT data.
• Views and measures of over and under representation may differ.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.