United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-03-31 monographic deposited born digital 57 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-342 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342 P0b002ee18037a5bf f:d05342 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342 GAO-05-342 Census Comparative analysis Data collection Data integrity Fair market value Housing programs Low income housing Population statistics Rent subsidies Rental housing Strategic planning Surveys Urban development programs 1990 Decennial Census 2000 Decennial Census Census Bureau American Community Survey Census Bureau American Housing Survey HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program HUD Section 8 Tenant-Based Program Consumer Price Index Other Written Product A20577 The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annually estimates fair market rents (FMR) for standard quality rental units throughout the United States. Among other uses, FMRs help determine subsidies for almost 2 million low-income families in the nation's largest rental assistance program. However, concerns exist that FMRs can be inaccurate--often, too low, preventing program participants from finding affordable housing. Also, HUD will soon derive FMRs from a new source, the American Community Survey (ACS), which processes data somewhat differently than HUD's current data sources, including the decennial census. You asked us to review (1) how HUD estimates FMRs, (2) how accurate FMRs have been, (3) how ACS data may affect accuracy, and (4) other changes HUD can make to improve the estimates. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342.pdf GAO-05-342 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-342 Other Written Product GAO-05-342; Rental Housing: HUD Can Improve Its Process for Estimating Fair Market Rents; Census Comparative analysis Data collection Data integrity Fair market value Housing programs Low income housing Population statistics Rent subsidies Rental housing Strategic planning Surveys Urban development programs 1990 Decennial Census 2000 Decennial Census Census Bureau American Community Survey Census Bureau American Housing Survey HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program HUD Section 8 Tenant-Based Program Consumer Price Index Public Law 106-554