The Quality Control Project

The Quality Control Project consists of three studies that identify current U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) eligibility standards, income limits, and rent determination regulations for housing assistance. Based on survey results of the application of the regulations in calculation of rent subsidies, an error detection analysis was conducted to generate nationally representative estimates of rent subsidy errors.

The purpose of all three studies is to provide national estimates of the extent, severity, costs, and sources of errors occurring in the certification and recertification procedures used by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and owner-administered assisted housing programs. “Error” is defined as any rent calculation or eligibility determination that differs from what would have occurred if the PHA/owner had followed all HUD income certification and rent calculation requirements during the most recent certification/recertification period. The analyses also identify errors in assigning appropriate size units to households and certain procedural errors (i.e. situations in which PHAs/owners did not follow HUD procedures but no dollar error resulted).

The first study, conducted by ORC Macro and KRA Corporation, was published in April 1996. The second study, conducted by ORC Macro, was published in June 2001. The current project, which was also researched by ORC Macro, uses data collected from nationally representative samples of HUD-assisted housing projects and project residents whose income and subsidy determinations were completed during Fiscal Year 2003 (i.e., the period from October 1, 2002, to September 30, 2003). The methodology of this quality control study builds on the successes and failures of previous studies.

Quality Control For Rental Assistance Subsidies Determinations for FY 2003
August 2004

Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidies Determinations
June 2001

Assisted Housing Quality Control
April 1996