- Metric Name:  Housing Burden Percentile

- Data Vintage:  2021

- Unit Of Measure: Percent

Housing-Burdened Low-Income Households. Percent of households in a census tract that are both low income (making less than 80% of the HUD Area Median Family Income) and severely burdened by housing costs (paying greater than 50% of their income to housin costs). (5-year estimates, 2013-2017).

The cost and availability of housing is an important determinant of well-being. Households with lower incomes may spend a larger proportion of their income on housing. The inability of households to afford necessary non-housing goods after paying for shelter is known as housing-induced poverty. California has very high housing costs relative to much of the country, making it difficult for many to afford adequate housing. Within California, the cost of living varies significantly and is largely dependent on housing cost, availability, and demand.

Areas where low-income households may be stressed by high housing costs can be identified through the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data. We measure households earning less than 80% of HUD Area Median Family Income by county and paying greater than 50% of their income to housing costs. The indicator takes into account the regional cost of living for both homeowners and renters, and factors in the cost of utilities. CHAS data are calculated from US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).

Creation Method: CalEnviroScreen, Version 4.0, is a science-based method for identifying impacted communities by taking into consideration pollution exposure and its effects, as well as health and socioeconomic status, at the census-tract level. CalEnviroScreen 4.0 uses the census tract as the unit of analysis. Census tract boundaries are available from the Census Bureau. CalEnviroScreen uses the Bureau’s 2010 boundaries. New boundaries will be drawn by the Census Bureau as part of the 2020 Census but will not be available until 2022. OEHHA will address updates to census tract geography in CalEnviroScreen at that time. There are approximately 8,000 census tracts in California, representing a relatively fine scale of analysis. Census tracts are made up of multiple census blocks, which are the smallest geographic unit for which population data are available. Some census blocks have no people residing in them (unpopulated blocks).

The CalEnviroScreen model is based on the CalEPA working definition in that:

- The model is place-based and provides information for the entire State of California on a geographic basis. The geographic scale selected is intended to be useful for a wide range of decisions.

- The model is made up of multiple components cited in the above definition as contributors to cumulative impacts.

- The model includes two components representing Pollution Burden - Exposures and Environmental Effects

- The model includes two components representing Population Characteristics - Sensitive Populations (e.g., in terms of health status and age) and Socioeconomic Factors.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey of the US population conducted by the US Census Bureau and has replaced the long form of the decennial census. Unlike the decennial census, which attempts to survey the entire population and collecs a limited amount of information, the ACS releases results annually based on a sub-sample of the population and includes more detailed information on socioeconomic factors. Multiple years of data are pooled together to provide more reliable estimates for geographic areas with small population sizes. Each year, the HUD receives custom tabulations of ACS data from the US Census Bureau. These data, known as the "CHAS" data (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy), demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low-income households. The most recent results available at the census tract scale are the 5-year estimates for 2013-2017. The data are available from the HUD user website (see page 174 in the document link below:

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen40reportf2021.pdf

- Credits:  California Environmental Protection Agency, CalEnviroScreen 4.0

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, CAL EPA: 
Data disclaimer:  
The State makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of these data and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in these data. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to these data.