2.1 Definition

A. Housing refers to the living accommodations of individuals or families.²

B. Living arrangements can include living alone or with others (family, dependents, spouse, roommates, etc.).

2.2 Considerations and Limitations

Housing can be used to understand:

• Eligibility for potential subsidized housing programs.³
• As a social determinant of health that can affect an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing.⁴
• How the housing budget may affect their budgeting based on the individual’s income level.⁵
• Effective housing situations varying from individual to individual and is important to understand what their preferred housing situation is e.g., disabled, client in recovery, etc.⁶
• The impact on an individual’s quality of life and well-being.^{7, 8}

Housing cannot be used to understand:

• Relationship with other roommates or family members that may affect their living situations (e.g., abuse or trauma).⁴

Additional Considerations:

• Financial stability and other monthly expenses along with housing payments (e.g., debt, child support, etc.).⁹
• How often has a client moved during a certain time frame can help establish why frequent moving is occurring for the client.¹⁰
• How long has an individual stayed at their current address?
• Complicated housing situations.⁴
• Poor housing conditions can affect a client’s quality of life and wellbeing (e.g. leaky roof, plumbing problems, mould, etc.)^{11, 12}

2.3 Suggested Collection Methods

The minimum suggested data collection method, or “basic” option reflects a synthesis of practices, considerations from nonprofit stakeholders, and recognized standards in capturing demographic data. The suggested method is modeled after what might be asked on an intake form during an initial meeting with a client. The process by which intake or registration occurs can vary widely depending on the context within which you are working. For example, the way questions are asked and data are recorded will vary for clients in crises, as compared to walk-in or drop-in sessions, or when registering for a program that requires people to meet certain eligibility requirements. In those cases, the suggested collection method can be used as a starting point but adapted to fit the needs of the context within which the data are being collected.

As a standard practice we suggest always including an option for people to write in an answer that may not fit within the options provided, along with an option not to answer. These are both important for creating inclusive demographic questions.^{1, 13, 14}

2.3.1 Basic Question(s)