National Renters' Survey

Much of what is known about renters in the U.S. comes from national datasets like the American Housing Survey, Census Household Pulse Survey, and American Community Survey. While these resources provide considerable detail on topics like rental housing quality, rent costs, and renter demographics, they include only limited information on renters’ experiences and opinions. A reliable, nationally representative source of quantitative data on the common barriers renters face to remaining safely and stably housed in their communities of choice would be an invaluable resource for informing advocacy efforts and identifying effective policy interventions.

Over the next two years, NLIHC and its survey research partner ICF will address this information gap by conducting a nationally representative survey of renters. The primary goal of this survey is to supplement existing data sources by gathering new, actionable data to inform our advocacy on federal policies that affect renters. We will be directly engaging with renters throughout the planning, implementation, and dissemination processes to ensure our results accurately reflect the renters’ experiences and opinions. Updates on our progress will be posted here.

NLIHC’s survey is supported and informed by a committee of technical and subject matter experts from housing advocacy organizations, research groups, universities, and tenant groups:

  • Allie Cannington, Director of Advocacy, The Kelsey
  • Ann Oliva, CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Ben Martin, Research Director, Texas Housers 
  • Carl Gershenson, Director, Eviction Lab at Princeton University
  • Casey Dawkins, Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, University of Maryland
  • Chris Herbert, Managing Director, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
  • Dan Immergluck, Professor, Georgia State University Housing & Community Development Lab
  • Erin McElroy, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Washington
  • Eva Rosen, Associate Professor, Georgetown University
  • Haydar Kurban, Director and Professor, Howard Center of Excellence in Housing and Urban Research and Policy (CHURP)
  • Jayanni Webster, National Field Organizer, Right to the City 
  • Marie Claire Tran-Leung, Evictions Initiative Project Director, National Housing Law Project
  • Megan Hatch, Associate Professor, Cleveland State University 
  • Nicole Manchester, Director of Data & Analytics, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future
  • Peggy Bailey, Vice President for Housing and Income Security, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
  • Rasheedah Phillips, Director of Housing Futures, PolicyLink
  • Roshanak Mehdipanah, Associate Professor and Director, University of Michigan Housing Solutions for Health Equity
  • Samantha Batko, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute 
  • Shazia Manji, Research Associate, Terner Center for Housing Innovation 
  • Vincent Reina, Faculty Director, Housing Initiative at Penn

In March 2024, NLIHC issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a research firm, consultant, or academic institution with the experience and expertise to collaborate with our research team on the technical components of our survey.

We are excited to share that we are partnering with ICF, an international consulting firm with considerable experience in survey and U.S.-based housing research. ICF will support our team with activities including but not limited to:

  • Determining the appropriate sample size, sample frame, and weighting strategy for the survey.
  • Validating and/or conducting cognitive testing on the survey instrument.
  • Administering the survey instrument to a nationally representative sample of renters.
  • Providing the final survey dataset(s) to NLIHC.
Contact

Please reach out to Sarah Abdelhadi at [email protected] for more information.