Codes

Information on the codes for this variable is not currently available.

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.

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

Comparability

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.

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Unharmonized Variables