SPMCAPHOUS is an 18-digit floating point variable.
9999999999.000000 = NIU (Not in universe)

Description

SPMCAPHOUS measures the value of federal housing assistance received by members of a family and is used to calculate the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The value of housing assistance is estimated using matched administrative data and is capped at the housing proportion of the SPM threshold minus the family contribution to housing costs.

For more information, see the Census Bureau's "Estimating the Value of Federal Housing Assistance for the Supplemental Poverty Measure" document.
SPM variables prior to 2010 are created by Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Research. Details about the methodology used by CPSP to construct the Historical SPM are described in the Historical SPM user note.

SPMCAPHOUS is expressed in current dollars; users can adjust for inflation with Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

Comparability

Prior to 2010, SPM variables are constructed by CPSP using data from the CPS ASEC and other sources to calculate household resources and poverty thresholds. These variables are created using the best possible data available, but some must be imputed due to incomplete data coverage (particularly in the earliest years of the Historical SPM). Users are encouraged to read the Historical SPM documentation for information about CPSP's methodology and use caution when comparing pre- and post-2010 values.

In 2010 to 2018, the method for calculating housing assistance is comparable across years; the value of assistance and poverty thresholds will change each year as a result of inflation.

In 2019, the Census Bureau implemented a new processing system to accommodate survey changes. These changes affect income and relationship variables, making poverty measurements incomparable before and after 2019. For more information on this overhaul, see our guide to the 2019 ASEC updates.

Universe

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Unharmonized Variables