Closing the Gap: Surveying LA Renters to Improve Housing Access

Los Angeles is one of the nation’s most expensive rental housing markets. Many lower-income households face rising rents, limited housing availability, and long waits to secure stable housing. 

Housing vouchers are a valuable tool for helping families, older adults, and people with disabilities afford housing. But vouchers only work when subsidy levels reflect current rental prices. In Los Angeles, many voucher holders struggle to find units within program limits, even when they qualify for assistance.

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), one of the largest housing authorities in the US, administers more than 58,000 housing choice vouchers. HACLA plays a key role in helping the voucher system work within local market conditions. The agency reviews proposed rents against comparable units, conducts inspections, and applies program rules tied to rent increases.

HACLA relies on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding and the Census’ American Community Survey (ACS)-based Fair Market Rent values to set subsidy levels. However, HUD allows local public housing authorities to conduct their own data collection to more closely examine local market conditions, while following established HUD guidelines.  

HACLA opted to collect their own updated local rental data. The goal was practical and immediate: Determine whether Fair Market Rents used to calculate subsidies aligned with actual rents across Los Angeles neighborhoods.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

Delivering current rental market data to support housing access.

HACLA partnered with Abt to conduct a rapid rental cost survey. We combined our housing and survey expertise to collect and analyze rental data for HACLA’s submission to HUD and continued providing technical support throughout the submission process.

Abt implemented a fast-turnaround multi-mode survey that adhered to HUD survey guidelines and aimed to produce updated rent estimates for HACLA’s HUD submission. Using an address-based sampling approach, Abt selected 120,000 households across the Los Angeles area. To reach renters across the city, we used a mix of mailed invitations, QR codes, web links, phone response options, reminders by phone and text, and small incentives to encourage participation. In less than five weeks, the effort produced 1,841 completed surveys, including 340 responses eligible for analysis.

Abt then provided HACLA with a user-friendly data file and a report explaining our survey methods and findings. Using HUD’s standard approach for measuring rents, Abt found that rental costs in Los Angeles were about 12 percent higher than existing Census-based estimates. The results gave HACLA and HUD updated information on current rental market conditions. 
 

By producing updated local rent estimates, Abt helped HACLA strengthen the evidence behind its Fair Market Rent submission to HUD. The findings showed that federal rent benchmarks did not fully reflect current market conditions in Los Angeles. More accurate benchmarks help voucher subsidies better align with actual rental costs, increasing the likelihood that households can successfully use their vouchers and secure housing.

Our work also showed how rapid, locally grounded data collection can help public agencies respond to changing rental markets. The survey approach offers a practical model that other housing agencies can adapt to gather current rental data and guide housing assistance decisions. 
 

WHY THIS MATTERS

Better data can help housing assistance work as intended.

Housing assistance programs depend on accurate market information. When subsidy levels fall behind actual rents, families may qualify for support but still struggle to secure housing. In cities like Los Angeles, updated rental data can help public resources respond to current market conditions rather than outdated estimates.

The project also shows how credible local data can shape major housing policy decisions. HACLA used the survey findings to support updated Fair Market Rent benchmarks through HUD’s review process. Because those benchmarks influence voucher payment standards, the results can directly affect whether families are able to turn housing assistance into stable housing in a highly competitive rental market.

The approach creates a practical path for other communities facing rising rents and limited housing supply. By using rapid, locally grounded data collection, housing agencies can build a stronger case for subsidy levels that reflect current market conditions, strengthen the effectiveness of housing assistance programs, and help more households secure and maintain stable homes.