Overhousing In Oregon: 20% of Voucher Tenants Had More Bedrooms than Residents.

HUD's Picture of Subsidized Housing data has a variable that shows the % of tenants who are overhoused--meaning they occupy a unit that has more bedrooms than tenants. 

HUD rules allow disabled households to request a reasonable accommodation to occupy a unit with more bedrooms and some HUD assisted tenants who occupied units that entitled them to preservation vouchers are allowed to continue in units with more bedrooms than tenants. 

HUD Picture data however does NOT show what share of overhoused tenants fall into those categories. 

Even HUD Assisted Tenants Can Be Cost Burdened, OR Severely Cost Burdened

The remaining overhoused group are voucher tenants who CHOOSE to occupy a unit with more bedrooms than tenants. Those tenants are required to PAY 100% of the difference in housing costs between the smaller and larger unit. 

This means that SOME HUD assisted tenants pay more than 30% of their income for rent and some could have an extreme rent burden of 50% or more, DESPITE their HUD voucher assistance. 

Oregon Voucher Overhousing By PHA

The table below shows the overhoused HUD voucher percentage for Oregon PHA's: Note that three major PHA's in Portland are all at or below the state average of 20%. 

In the Excel workbook with the HUD Picture data (see prior post HERE)  there is a worksheet with this and more data on the PHA location of more than 7,000 overhoused voucher tenants. 

NOTE: HUD's Picture data also provides overhousing data for other HUD rental assistance programs. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.