Linka g e of HUD Ad m inistra tive Da ta with the Curre nt 

Pop ula tion Surve y: Food Se curity Sup p le m e nt

2023 FCSM Resea rch a nd Policy Conference (October 2023)

Veronica Garrison

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

Office of Policy Development & Research 

Emily Molfino

U.S. Census Bureau 

Research and Methodology Directorate

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Housing and 

Urban Development or the U.S. Census Bureau.
Background

● HUD/ PD&R -- USDA/ ERS Collaboration

● USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) 

Report 

● Published November 2020

● Uses 2011-2012 National Health 

Interview Survey (NHIS) linked with HUD 

administrative data 

● Report Link

● Showed the power of using linked data to 

better understand food insecurity among 

HUD-assisted households 
Ke y Find ing s From 2020 ERS Re p ort 
Ke y Find ing s From 2020 ERS Re p ort 
No matter what we controlled for, adults 

receiving housing choice vouchers had the 

highest rates of food insecurity when 

compared to adults receiving project-based 

assistance. 
Othe r Re le va nt Re se a rch

● Recent Paper (April 2023): Rental assistance improves food security and 

nutrition: An analysis of National Survey Data

○ Investigates the impacts of rental assistance on food security and nutrition (pseudowaitlist approach) 

○ Tenants with project-based assistance were less likely to experience food 

insecurity 

○ Rent-assisted individuals consumed 0.23 more cups of daily fruits and vegetables 

compared the pseudo-waitlist group

● Authors conclude: “Findings suggest that the current unmet need for rental 

assistance and resulting long waitlists have adverse health implications, including 

decreased food security and fruit and vegetable consumption.”
Wha t Doe s this Me a n? 

• Tenant-based assistance often implies choice, but 

this finding contradicts that construct. 

• Main hypothesis: Rent burden  Examined 

American Housing Survey but sample size was 

too limited 

• Other Issues  Voucher lease up success and 

limited landlord participation 

• Is this finding consistent in other data 

sources?
CPS:FSS-HUD Linka g e

● Current Population Survey: Food 

Security Supplement (CPS: FSS) used 

by ERS for annual food security 

report 

● Housed in the Census Integrated 

Research Environment (IRE) – so is 

HUD data!
Re se a rch Que stions a nd Purp ose 

Goal: Better understand household food insecurity status among HUD-assisted 

households

Research Question: How does household food insecurity vary by housing assistance 

program type?

Objective: Estimate the prevalence of food insecurity among HUD-assisted households 

and examine differences across HUD program type

Purpose: 

1. Verify prior results from NHIS-HUD

2. Support HUD/PD&R commitments in the Biden-Harris Administration National 

Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (September 2022)  “HUD will 

partner with USDA and the Census Bureau to better understand and 

address persistent food insecurity among HUD-assisted individuals 

already connected with nutrition assistance programs” (p. 34).
Linka g e Proce ss: Da ta

• CPS Food Security Public Use 

Microdata

• CPS Food Security Internal Use 

File

• HUD’s Rental Housing 

Assistance Administrative 

Records

• The Census Bureau’s Master 

Address File

• The Census’s Bureau Numident

File
Linka g e Proce ss

1. Align the HUD Admin Data to the CPS-FS Data Collection Period

2. Probabilistically Link HUD Administrative Records to the MAF 

3. Deterministically link HUD administrative records to the Numindent file

4. Attaching linking information to the CPS-FS PUMs

5. Link HUD admin data to the CPS-FS data via a two-step process

○ Deterministically link HUD admin data to CPS-FS housing units using Address

○ If there is no MAFID link was made, deterministically link the HUD admin data 

to CPS-FS data using head of householder.
Linking Asse ssm e nt

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

PIK 24.39% 21.05% 24.32% 21.74% 21.21% 21.43%

MAFD 75.61% 78.95% 75.68% 78.26% 78.79% 78.57%

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

All programs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Voucher Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Public Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Private 

Multifamily Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Is the CPS estimate of number of housing units statistically the same as the known number?

Link Method
Pre lim ina ry Re sults

● CPS Survey Years 2015-2020

● Good sample size for outcomes when 

subsetting all program types together 

(90% CI < 1.6%)

● Some sample size issues when subsetting 

by program type or characteristic, even 

when setting all five years together

● Two-category outcome variable versus 

three-category outcome variable 

● Unit of analysis change: household (prior 

2020 study was person-level)
2015-2020 CPS-HUD: Cha ra cte ristics of HUD-Assiste d House hold s 

All Program Categories

- Consistent with expectations (with some exceptions)

- 50% are vouchers households 

- 50% are project-based households 

- 71% have a household income to poverty ratio < 1.85

- 40% are households with older adults aged 62+

- 17% are households with children

- 45% of reference persons within the household identify as black, non-Hispanic

Some sample size constraints when subsetting by HUD program type (90% CI 

ranges hover around 2.5%-2.9% for project-based estimates) 
Pre lim ina ry Find ing s: 2015-2020 CPS-HUD

39.4 41.1 38.4 36.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

All HUD Programs Housing Choice

Voucher

Public Housing Assisted Multifamily

HUD-Assisted Households that are Food Insecure By HUD 

Program Category, 2015-2020 Current Population Survey: Food 

Security Supplement Linked with HUD Administrative Data
NHIS 2011-2012 vs. 2015-2020 CPS-HUD

39.4 41.1 38.4 37.2 36.9

42.6

36.3

29.1

-5

5

15

25

35

45

55

All HUD Programs Housing Choice

Voucher

Public Housing Assisted Multifamily

Weighted %

HUD-Assisted Persons and Households that are Food Insecure By 

HUD Program Category and Linked Data Source

2015-2020 CPS:HUD (HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL)

2011-2012 NHIS-HUD (PERSON-LEVEL)
Food Inse curity Ra te s b y House hold Cha ra cte ristic 

- Shown estimates are for all HUD-assisted program categories

- Standard Errors (SEs) and 90% Confidence Intervals subset by specific program categories 

are high 

- Example 90% CI Range

All Programs: 3.8%

Housing Choice Voucher Program: 5.4%

Public Housing: 7.9%

Multifamily Housing: 7.2%
Next Steps 

• Examine rent burden as a 

mediator

• Publication

• Elevate this work for Biden-Harris 

Administration National Strategy 

on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health 
Tha nk You!

Que stions?

ve ronica .e .g a rrison@hud .g ov

e m ily.m olfino@ce nsus.g ov