A Community Housing Profile (CHP) is essential to identify all actors and actions involved in the local housing situation. CHP preparation requires the 1) assembly and analysis of the most recent, generally available population and housing market data and 2) a clear assessment of specific housing conditions for neighborhoods, the community as a whole, and perhaps its surrounding region. Much of the information utilized earlier (Step 2) is analyzed in greater detail in this step. 

Steps in Preparing the CHP 

Five steps outlined by Jaffe and Sirmans (1982) for preparing housing market/feasibility analyses may be used to develop the profile: 1) delineate the market area; 2) analyze demographic characteristics; 3) consider the economic factors influencing the demand for housing; 4) analyze the supply side; and 5) analyze the political-legal environment. To be useful, all demand/supply data in the CHP must be segmented and analyzed by the relevant points of interest (e.g., price, bedroom count, income level, location, tenure status [own vs. rent]). The sample CHP Table of Contents shown in Figure 6 organizes the information (provided by the five steps) according to HUD CHAS guidelines. 

Market Area. The most relevant factors in defining the housing market area boundaries for small towns and small cities may be employment sites and commuting distances. Where do the people who are employed locally live? If the community is a regional employment center, the boundaries may extend up to 50 miles or one hour's travel time beyond the city limits. The availability of public transit can also enlarge the market area. 

Demographic Characteristics. Local housing demand is determined primarily by changes in the number and composition of households in the market area (relative to the housing stock or supply). Gathering, analyzing, and comparing 1980 and 1990 Census data on population growth rates, estimated future population growth, age distribution, and number of households will reveal current housing demand. 

Future housing demand projections also may be included in the CHP or the housing needs assessment--or in both. (CHAS guidelines call for five-year projections of general housing and population needs--including numbers of people "expected to reside" in the community, based on future employment projections.) The bases for these projections can include population and housing goals and objectives stated in the community's comprehensive plan, or local economic development plans. Census data on the percentages of nearby community populations who commute outside their place of residence for employment may also help answer the question. 

Local analysts can project the number of households at a future date by converting Census or other population projections into households: first subtract the group quarters populations (in dormitories, nursing homes, prisons, and other institutions) from the total projected population, then divide the resultant household population by the current average household size. For example, the 1990 mean (average) U. S. household size was 2.63 persons. Gathering demographic and housing data on special needs populations may present a challenge. The 1990 Census asked only two disability-related questions of a statistical sample of households (about one in six): 1. Which persons age 16 and older (the usual ages of people in the U. S. labor force) had a physical, mental, or other health condition lasting for six or more months that: a) Limited the kind or amount of work the person could do at a job? or b) Prevented the person from working at a job; 2. Because of a health condition lasting for six or more months, did the person have any difficulty: a) Going outside the home alone, e.g., to shop or visit a doctor's office, or b) Taking care of his or her own personal needs, such as bathing, dressing or getting around inside the home. 

Therefore, to document the housing situations of persons with disabilities, the housing and service providers for each disability group may need to be canvassed. At a minimum, seek out representatives, advocates, or organizations with housing data on persons with physical, developmental, and mental disabilities. If possible, also find statistics about the numbers of persons (including children, retirees, and homemakers) with disabilities that create special housing needs. 

Also, try to obtain information on the number of units that have full, built-in wheelchair accessibility vs. minimal wheelchair accessibility plus adaptability (universally-designed units), or adaptations for other disabilities (e.g., visual impairment). How many of those units are located in federally-assisted developments built primarily for the elderly? Are people with disabilities able to choose whether they will live among the able-bodied in the community or exclusively with other disabled persons? 

Economic Factors that influence demand for real estate investment include employment trends, income data, and the economic base of the market area. Relevant economic data include the local (un)employment rate and employment profile. Income level breakdowns may raise questions such as, "Does a captive or immobile labor market and/or a high proportion of service jobs with part-time hours, minimum wages, and lack of fringe benefits affect the dollars available for local housing?" Another relevant question may relate to future economic development efforts: Are new jobs an asset to the community if they provide only a minimum wage income level? 

Housing Supply Side. In this step, the community housing delivery system, construction and real estate activity, housing stock characteristics and changes, and mortgage market trends are described. Include any changes in the existing housing stock over the past decade (e.g., additions [gains], deletions [losses], and vacancy rates). 

Housing supply additions may result from new construction, conversion of vacation homes to year-round residences, and the subdivision of larger homes to apartments. Depletion of the existing housing inventory can result from authorized and unintentional demolition (by permit vs. that caused by fire, flood, wind, or other natural or man-made disaster), mergers, and conversions. Mergers of smaller apartments to become larger units, and conversions from residential to nonresidential uses (e.g., to become restaurants or funeral homes) both remove housing units from the market. 

The community housing delivery system includes 1) the institutional structure, 2) public and private resources, and 3) relevant public policies. Good places to start identifying the institutional structure are the Yellow Pages and "Government" sections of the telephone book. Local private housing industry participants, nonprofit organizations or community-based housing providers, and housing-related public institutions can be listed on a table such as the sample in Figure 7. The accompanying description should answer the question, "Who really controls housing decisions in this community--elected or appointed officials, real estate developers, builders, apartment owners, or ...?" 

Public and private resources for housing include funds, writedowns, and publicly-owned land or property from HUD or other federal, state, or local public sources. Private resources include investment by financial institutions, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and pension funds. Explain how private and government resources and intergovernmental cooperation (e.g., city and county) are used to benefit housing in the community. For example, local lenders' federal Community Reinvestment Act compliance activities may provide an important potential resource. Identify matching funds and additional monies for new housing programs, as opposed to maintaining the status quo or planning to transfer funds from existing housing programs (LIHIS, May 1991). 

Political/Legal Environment. The profile should describe public policies (implemented by state statutes, local ordinances or regulations, and administrative procedures) that may influence the local housing delivery system. These include land use and growth controls (e.g., zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations), building and housing code enforcement, development fees, municipal services/facilities, and property tax policies. Later in the housing needs assessment, the Task Force will analyze whether (and how) these policies negatively affect rental and for-sale housing prices in the community. 

Information and Data Resources for the CHP 

Existing, published data will provide the major basis for the community housing profile. These secondary sources are more quickly and inexpensively obtained than primary (original) data. APPENDIX A lists information and data types, applications, and sources from which Task Force members can select the most appropriate/available population/demographic data, housing inventory and market data, affordability data, and human resource and service providers. 

All CHP data need to be current and broken down by appropriate jurisdiction(s), however. Another important caveat: Do not assume that all printed or "official" data are relevant, accurate, or complete. 

Census Data. Beginning in 1993, HUD will provide communities who are preparing CHASs with complete tabulations of 1990 Census data, as well as information on the jurisdiction's HUD-assisted housing stock. Decennial census statistics provide the most frequently used secondary data on population and housing. Through the State Data Center Program, states disseminate Census Bureau statistical data products and provide technical assistance in their use. 

The 1990 Census data are limited in that few questions about housing were asked of all households: structural type and density, number of rooms, rental vs. ownership, acreage with house, presence of a home-based business, value of the property or monthly rent, and whether the rent included meals. Certain questions about housing quality (e.g., plumbing inadequacies asked in earlier censuses) were changed or eliminated from the 1990 count. Other housing questions were asked of small percentages of U. S. households. In rural areas and small towns, however, those statistical samples may be too small to allow generalization to the entire community. Furthermore, data for small communities may be aggregated or deleted from Census Bureau reports because of confidentiality concerns that arise from small population counts (HAC, 1990). 

The 1990 Census also missed an estimated 5 million people. Many of these were the "hidden homeless," members of minority groups, lower-income people, and persons for whom English is not the primary language (Gramlich, 1991). Moreover, by mid-decade, 1990 Census data may be obsolete, especially in growing or declining communities. Thus, local analysts must update, extrapolate from, or make adjustments to current growth rates, or use interim Census counts or projections, if available. 

Local and State Resources. Task Force members preparing a CHP will find the greatest number of housing data resources at the town, county, or metropolitan level (see Appendix A). If a major city is located within commuting distance, data relative to regional housing trends may be available from city government officials or from the metropolitan planning agency. Also, members of local chapters of housing-related trade and professional associations may be able to obtain data from their national headquarters. Many state agencies also collect data that may be important to include in the CHP. For example, state Departments of Commerce, Transportation, or Social Services, Divisions of Community Development, Local Affairs, or Planning, and the state Housing Development/Finance Agency are potential sources of information listed in Appendix A. 

FIGURE 6. SUGGESTED COMMUNITY HOUSING PROFILE TABLE OF CONTENTS 

(presented in Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategies [CHAS] format) 

Total and Household Population Data (including changes)
Household type/size/age
Group quarters
Special needs populations (elderly, female heads, disabled, homeless,
large households, singles, etc.)
Poverty population
Household income/employment 

Housing Stock/Inventory 
Total number of units (by density, type)
Housing form and size
Age
Condition/habitability
Tenure/occupancy type
Vacancy rates
Number of residential permits issued (construction, demolition)
Construction and mortgage financing rates/costs
Housing costs--for sale units (including construction costs)
Rental housing costs/HUD-determined Fair Market Rents
Assisted housing units/inventory
Geographic concentration of minorities and low income families
Buildable land availability (including location, zoning, and cost) 

Housing Delivery System (see Figure 7 for subheadings) 

Institutional Structure 

Resources for Housing Production/Finance 

Relevant Public Policies 

Future (Five-Year) Demand Projections 

Tables (see Appendix B for blank table formats)
1. Net Residential Gains: 1980-90 
2. New-Housing Construction Costs: 1985-1990 
3. Random Sample of Land Costs for Vacant Residential Land 
4. Local Assisted Housing Inventory (Families and Elderly) 

Figures/Maps
1. City Census Tract Map 

Source: Adapted from White, 1991; CHAS/LIHIS, 1991; Gramlich, 1991; and Lieder, 1988. 

FIGURE 7. THE COMMUNITY HOUSING DELIVERY SYSTEM 

List names, addresses, and/or brief descriptions of housing-related goals and activities in table form, then discuss each in greater detail in the report. 

INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE: 

Residential Construction and Mortgage Lenders
Savings and loan institutions
Mortgage companies 
Commercial banks
Federal credit unions 

Private Housing Industry Participants
Housing and land developers
Homebuilders/remodelers/subcontractors
Rental housing investors/property managers
Real estate sales professionals
Building materials' suppliers 

Nonprofit Organizations/Community-based Housing/Shelter Providers
Community Housing Development Organization
Emergency shelter and transitional housing operators
Group home providers
Habitat for Humanity groups 

Housing-related Public Institutions
Community Planning and Development Agency
Local Housing Authority/Agency 

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION/FINANCE: 

Public funds and ...
City/county matching funds and writedowns
Publicly-owned land
Government-owned properties (city/county/state, HUD/FHA, FMHA, VA, etc.) 

Private investments
Financial institutions
Foundations
Nonprofit organizations
Pension funds 

PUBLIC POLICIES THAT AFFECT HOUSING:
Zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations
Permitting processes and development fees
Building and accessibility codes
Housing occupancy/conservation/safe buildings codes
Taxes (property, income, sales, etc.)
Rent control
Fair/open housing ordinances 

   
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