Data Search Tool Guide Acronyms and Definitions

421a Tax Exemption

This program provides a complete exemption from real estate taxes for an exisiting HDCF that provides affordable housing and supportive services using city or state financial assistance. The program requires the building to be used as low-income housing, and often reserves a portion for the homeless or people with special needs.

Affordability Restrictions

Private owners receive financing or a subsidy which then requires them to maintain their property as affordable for a fixed period of time.  This is whether the property is currently receiving such subsidies.

Agencies

Government entities that provided data for this property in the Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP) database.  Normally, these are the same entities that administer this property’s subsidies.

Agency IDs and BBLs

An identification number assigned to the property by one of the agencies that provided data for it in the Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP).  This includes BBLs, for which boroughs are numbered alphabetically. For example, “2-2723-40” would be Bronx block 2723, lot 40.  DOF numbers Manhattan “1”, the Bronx “2”, Brooklyn “3”, Queens “4”, and Staten Island “5”.

Article 8A Loan Program

This program provides loans to mitigate substandard conditions and prolong the useful life of residential buildings. The loans are restricted to buildings occupied by low-income tenants and cannot exceed the cost of rehabilitation.

Article IV LD

Limited dividend housing companies developed under Article IV of the New York State Private Finance Housing Law to develop middle income housing.

BBL

Borough Block Lot. A Unique identifier for a property lot in New York City; a BBl may contain multiple buildings. Boroughs are numbered alphabetically. For example, “2-2723-40” would be Bronx block 2723, lot 40.  DOF numbers Manhattan “1”, the Bronx “2”, Brooklyn “3”, Queens “4”, and Staten Island “5”.

Borough

New York City consists of five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. This is the borough where the property is located.  If a property includes buildings in multiple boroughs, only one is shown.

Building Address

The address of each building within a property.

Building Count

How many buildings the property comprises.

CD

See “Community District”.

Census Tract

Small, statistical subdivisions of the county delineated by U.S. Census Bureau guidelines . This is the census tract of the property’s mapped address.  This includes the borough before the census tract number,  for example Bronx 252.  If the census tract has a fraction, it would appear as Brooklyn 3.02.  If the property comprises buildings in multiple census tracts, only one is shown.

City Council District

The law-making body of New York City is comprised of 51 members from 51 separate City Council Districts throughout the five boroughs.  This is the City Council district where the property is located.

Community District (CD)

Political units unique to New York City. Each of the city’s 59 community districts has a community board that is a assigned a number within its borough. The community district (CD) where the property is located.  The two letters refer to the community district’s borough, and the next two refer to its number.  The name approximates the neighborhoods within the community district, and is not an official designation.

Complaints and Violations

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development investigates housing code complaints from tenants and issues code violations if housing inspections reveal problems. The Furman Center reports two indicators based on this data. Serious Housing Code Violations are class C (immediately hazardous) while Total Housing Code Violations include class A and class B violations as well. These numbers include all violations that were opened in a given time period, regardless of their current status.  Data on housing violations are reported as rates—the number of violations per 1,000 rental units.

Crowding

A severely crowded household is defined as one in which there are more than 1.5 persons for each room in the unit. We report the rate of severely crowded renter households as a percentage of all renter households.

Delinquencies, Liens or Arrears

These include late property tax bills, tax liens on the property, and unpaid water bills.

DHCR

The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.  This agency is now called New York State Homes and Community Renwal.

Disabled Population

These indicators measure the percentage of the population aged 16 through 64 that has disabilities that impair hearing, vision, ambulation, cognition, self-care or independent living. Beginning with the 2008 ACS, substantial changes were made to the questions about disabilities so 2008 cannot be compared to earlier years.

DOF

New York City Department of Finance

DOF Assessed Value

The sum of the current transitional assessed total value, as determined by the New York City Department of Finance (DOF), for each building in the property.

Educational Attainment

These indicators measure the percentage of the population aged 25 and older that have attained a given level of education. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher includes recipients of master’s, professional, and doctorate degrees while someone is considered to have no high school diploma if they have not graduated from high school and have not received a GED.

Elevated Blood Lead Level

These indicators measure the rate of new diagnoses of elevated blood lead levels among tested children under the age of 18. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has defined elevated blood lead levels as a blood level of 10 micrograms per deciliter or above. Calculated rates by community district may be higher than actual rates because a significant number of negative test records were missing community district identifiers and accordingly, could not be assigned to a CD.

Eligible to Leave LIHTC Limited Partnership

The year the property is eligible to leave its limited partnership under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).  This is not the year that affordability restrictions expire.

Eligible to Opt-Out of Mitchell-Lama

The earliest year the property is/was eligible to opt out of the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.

End Affordability Restrictions

The year when affordability restrictions on the property expire. When this year is past on a property with current affordability restrictions, it refers to the year when the property could first choose to end its affordability.

End HUD Financing & Insurance Absent Other Restrictions

The year when all HUD Financing & Insurance ended or will end for this property. The latest date is reported if there is more than one.

End LIHTC Absent Other Restrictions

The year that Low-Income Housing Tax Credit affordability restrictions expire.

Foreign-Born Population

These indicators measure the share of the population that is foreign-born. Foreign-born includes all those born outside the United States or Puerto Rico, regardless of whether they currently are United States citizens, with the exception of children born abroad to parents of United States citizens.

HDC

New York City Housing Development Corporation

HFA

New York State Housing Finance Agency

Home Purchase Mortgage Loans

The rate of home purchase lending is measured using HMDA data. The Furman Center calculates the home purchase loan rate by dividing the number of first-lien home purchase loans for 1–4 family buildings, condos or co-ops by the total number of 1–4 family buildings, condos or co-ops in the given geography and then multiplying by 1,000 to establish a rate per 1,000 properties.

Homeownership Rate

These indicators measure the number of owner-occupied units divided by the total number of currently occupied units. This indicator does not distinguish between types of owner-occupied housing (single-family homes, condominiums, or co-ops) since this distinction is not recorded in the Census Bureau data.

Housing Price Appreciation Index

This indicator, also called the repeat sales index, measures average price changes in repeated sales of the same properties. Because it is based on price changes for the same properties, the index captures price appreciation while controlling for variations in the quality of the housing sold in each period. The index is available for several types of properties: single-family homes, 2–4 family buildings, five or more family buildings (including co-op buildings), and condominiums. The index shown in each community district is the index for the type of housing that is most prevalent (i.e., with most sales) in that community district. On the borough pages, we present the index for the two most predominant housing types.

HPD

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD Financing & Insurance Start

The year when HUD Financing & Insurance began for this property.

HUD Financing and Insurance

The HUD Financing & Insurance portfolio includes properties that are receiving or have received mortgage insurance, or an interest reduction payment from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which required the property to be affordable for a fixed period of time.  This includes Section 236, BMIR, and Section 202/811 properties.

HUD Insurance Financing

The year when the property obtained its HUD-Insured mortgage.

HUD Insurance Maturity

The year when the property’s HUD-Insured mortgage should mature.  The earliest is reported if there is more than one.

HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance

The Project-Based Rental Assistance portfolio includes properties receiving operating support through a Department of Housing and Urban Development Project-Based Rental Assistance contract.  This includes Project-Based Section 8, the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC), and Rental Supplement (Rent Supp).

HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance Contract End

The year when a property’s HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance contract is set to expire.  Note: Property owner may be eligible to renew and tenants may be eligible for vouchers.

HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance Start

The calculated year when a property’s HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance began.  The contract started no later than this year, but we cannot provide a precise start year due to gaps in our sources.

Infant Mortality

New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene collects data on infant mortality reported by the community district of residence of the mother. We report the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

J-51 Tax Exemption

This program is an as-of-right tax exemption and abatement for residential rehabilitation or conversion to multi-family housing.

LIHTC 4%

Developers are awarded tax credits, which they then sell to investors in order to raise capital to build affordable housing. Four percent credits provide approximately four percent of most project costs

LIHTC 9%

Developers are awarded tax credits, which they then sell to investors in order to raise capital to build affordable housing. Nine percent credits are equal to approximately nine percent of eligible project costs.

Low Birth Weight

These indicators measure the number of babies who were born weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds) per 1,000 live births. The geography reported refers to the residence of the mother.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is an indirect federal subsidy that uses the sale of tax credits to finance the development of affordable rental housing for low-income households.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is an indirect federal subsidy that uses the sale of tax credits to finance the development of affordable rental housing for low-income households.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Status

Whether a property is still subject to affordability restrictions under Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Mean Travel Time to Work

These indicators measure the mean commute time in minutes for commuters residing in the geographic area. The mean is calculated by dividing the aggregate commute time in minutes for each area by the number of workers 16 years old and older who did not work from home.

Median Monthly Contract Rent

The monthly contract rent is the amount agreed to or specified in the lease even if furnishings, utilities, or services are included. As reported by the ACS, this should not be understood as an indicator of market rent in a geography since it includes units subject to rent regulation which are not available to incoming residents. Rent is expressed in constant 2010 dollars.  Compilation of this data was significantly different in Census 2000 compared to ACS years, therefore, we do not include 2000 for this indicator.

Median Rent Burden

These indicators measure the median percentage of income spent on gross rent (rent plus electricity and heating fuel costs) by New York City renter households. Compilation of this data was significantly different in Census 2000 compared to ACS years; therefore, we do not include 2000 for this indicator.

Median Sales Price

For single family homes, price per unit is the sale price of the home. For condominium buildings, the sale price is available for each apartment. For buildings with multiple units, the price per unit is calculated by dividing the sale price of the residential building by the number of units contained within the building. Prices are expressed in constant 2010 dollars. In this report we provide the median price per unit for the predominant housing type at the community district level. For each housing type, CDs are ranked against all CDs with the same predominant housing type. The median price should be used to compare sale prices for a given year across geographies. The Index of Housing Price Appreciation is a better measure of housing price changes over time.

Mitchell-Lama

In exchange for low-interest mortgage loans and real property tax exemptions, this program limited profits and placed income limits on tenants or cooperative owners.The program subsidized the construction of 269 developments, with more than 105,000 apartments for moderate- and middle-income households in New York State.

New Units

The number of units authorized by new residential building permits is derived from the building permit reports of the New York City Department of Buildings. Permit renewals are not included. Not all building permits will result in actual construction, but the number of units authorized by new permits is the best available indicator of how many units are under construction. Comparisons between the years prior to 2005 and the more recent years should be made with caution due to improvements in the data that facilitates more accurate estimates of the number of new units attached to each building permit. Specifically, the figures for

Notices of Foreclosure (Lis Pendens)

These indicators measure the total number of properties in New York City (single and multi-family buildings, condominium and co-op units) that had mortgage foreclosure actions initiated. In order to initiate a mortgage foreclosure, the foreclosing party must file a legal document, called a lis pendens, in county court. In many cases, the filing of a lis pendens does not lead to a completed foreclosure; instead, the borrower and lender work out some other solution to the borrower’s default or the borrower sells the property prior to foreclosure. If a property received multiple lis pendens within 90 days of each other, only the first lis pendens is counted here.

NYSHCR

New York State Homes and Community Renewal.  This is the successor agency to the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA).

Opted Out of Mitchell-Lama

The year the property actually opted out of the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.

Other HCR Subsidy

Non Mitchell-Lama or LIHTC financing programs offered by HCR that allow developers to access loans that are market rate, low interest and/or forgivable, or grants.

Other HDC Mortgage

This portfolio includes properties that received a mortgage backed by bonds from New York City’s Housing Development Corporation, but did not receive the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).

Other HFA Mortgage

This portfolio includes properties that received a mortgage backed by bonds from New York State’s Housing Finance Agency (now a part of New York State Homes and Community Renewal), but did not receive the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).

Other HFA Mortgage

This portfolio includes properties that received a mortgage backed by bonds from New York State’s Housing Finance Agency (now a part of New York State Homes and Community Renewal), but did not receive the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).

Other HUD Insurance without affordability restrictions

HUD has several financing programs that insure lenders against loses on multifamily mortgages and do not require owners to offer any units at affordable rents.

Other Subsidy End Year

The expiration year for any Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP) subsidies on the property that do not fall within the Mitchell-Lama, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, HUD Insurance, or HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance portfolios.

Other Subsidy Start Year

The year when the property began to receive any Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP) subsidies that do not fall within the Mitchell-Lama, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, HUD Insurance, or HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance portfolios.

Other Subsidy Status

Whether there are currently Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP) subsidies on the property that do not fall within the Mitchell-Lama, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), HUD Insurance, or HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance portfolios.  Some of these portfolios may not have affordability restrictions.

Owner

The person or entity that owns the property, as specified in the Department of Finance’s Real Property Assessment Database (RPAD).

Owner Profit Status

The organizational stucture of the property owner. This includes not-for-profit, for-profit, or limited dividend.

Placed in Service (LIHTC)

The year that tax credits began to flow on this property.  This should coincide with the date after rehab that units are first occupied.

Portfolios

The categories of subsidies used to develop affordable housing. We analyze four main portfolios: Mitchell-Lama, HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance, HUD Financing & Insurance, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC)

This Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program provides grants or loans, referred to as a capital advance, to finance the construction or rehabilitation of structures that will serve as supportive housing for very low-income elderly persons.

Project-Based Section 8

This program was authorized by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and provided a direct rental subsidy to building owners who housed low-income tenants in newly built or rehabilitated units. In 1983, HUD phased out the program and replaced it with Section 8 housing vouchers.

Property Address

The main address for the entire property.

Property Name

The main property name, as designated by the Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP).

Racial Diversity Index

The Racial Diversity Index (RDI) measures the probability that two randomly chosen people in a given geography will be of a different race. The Furman Center uses the categories of Asian (non-Hispanic), black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, and white (non-Hispanic) to calculate the index. These groups make up 97.7% of New York City’s population. People identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, some other race or reporting more than one race are excluded from this calculation. A higher number indicates a more racially diverse population. For instance, if an area is made up entirely of just one racial/ethnic group, the RDI would be 0.0. If the population of a neighborhood is evenly distributed among the four groups (25% of residents are Asian, 25% black, 25% Hispanic and 25% white), the maximum RDI would be 0.75. In practice, in neighborhoods with a large share of residents who do not fall into any of the four groups, the RDI may be slightly greater than 0.75.

REAC

Real Estate Assessment Center

REAC Number

This is the numeric portion of HUD’s most recent REAC (Real Estate Assessment Center) score.  REAC aims to score a property’s physical condition, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best) and only pertains to properties in a HUD portfolio.

Refinance Mortgage Loans

The rate of loan refinance originations is measured using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. The Furman Center calculates the refinance loan rate by dividing the number of refinance loans for 1–4 family buildings, condos, or co-ops by the total number of 1–4 family buildings, condos, or co-ops in the given geography and then multiplying by 1,000 to establish a rate per 1,000 properties.

Rental Assistance Program (RAP)

A form of project-based rental assistance offered by HUD that ensures low-income tenants do not pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent, and pays the owner the difference between the tenant payment and the actual rent level, for the life of the rental assistance contract. A RAP contract is non-renewable.

Rental Supplement Program (Rent Supp)

Authorized by Congress within the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, this program provided rental subsidies to low-income housing tenants living in privately-owned housing. The program was created to provide a contract to reach low-income households for up to 40 years in a 221(d)(3) project.

Rental/Co-op (Tenure)

The terms of occupancy for this property’s residents (for example, rental or co-op.)  This is called “Tenure” in the Census.

SBA

Subborough Area

Section 202

This program uses tax-exempt bond financing to refinance, at lower interest rates, the original HUD mortgages issued for development of housing projects for the elderly through HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program.

Section 221 (d) (3) & (4) with affordability restrictions

HUD has several financing programs that insure lenders against loses on multifamily mortgages in exchange for the property offering some of its units at affordable rents.

Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR)

This program was authorized in the National Housing Act of 1961 and allowed developers to obtain FHA insured, three percent BMIR mortgages from private lenders, who then immediately sold the mortgages at face value to Fannie Mae. The program was replaced by the Section 236 program.

Section 223 (f)

This program insures mortgage loans to facilitate the purchase or refinancing of existing multi-family rental housing. Operating since 1974, the program insures lenders against losses on mortgage defaults and allows for long-term mortgages that can be financed with GNMA Mortgage-Backed Securites.

Section 236

Congress enacted this program in the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. While developers secured loans from private lenders, the government provided an interest rate reduction payment to subsidize debt service costs, effectively operating as a subsidy to the developer.

Serious Violations Opened in 2010

The number of Class C (immediately hazardous) Housing Code Violations issued by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for the property between the start of January and the end of December, 2010. Visit HPD’s website for the most current data.

SHIP

The Furman Center’s Subsidized Housing Information Project.  This is a database of properties in the five boroughs of New York City that currently receive, or have received, subsidies from Mitchell-Lama, HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance, HUD Insurance, or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs.

Start Affordability Restrictions

The first year when the property entered a subsidy program requiring it to be affordable.

Start HUD Financing & Insurance

The year when HUD Financing & Insurance began for this property.

Start Mitchell-Lama

The year the property entered the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.

Status HUD Financing and Insurance

Whether HUD is currently insuring the property’s mortgage in a program that requires the property be affordable.

Status HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance

Whether a property’s HUD Project-Based Rental Assistance contract had expired as of January 2011.

Status Mitchell-Lama

Whether units in the property are currently a part of the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, are able to opt out, or have already opted out.

Student Performance

The New York City Department of Education’s Division of Assessment and Accountability develops and administers city and state tests and compiles data on students’ performance on those tests. These education indicators report the percentage of students performing at or above grade level for grades three through eight. The Department of Education provides these data at the school district level. The Furman Center aggregates these data to the community district level using a population-weighting formula.

Subsidy Types

The different types of subsidies active on the property.

Unemployment Rate

These indicators measure the number of people aged 16 years and older in the civilian labor force who are unemployed, divided by the total number of people aged 16 years and older in the civilian labor force. People are considered to be “unemployed” if they meet the following criteria: they have not worked during the week of the survey; they have been looking for a job during the previous four weeks; and they were available to begin work. The unemployment rates shown are annual averages and are self-reported figures. At the city and borough level, the unemployment rates reported by the ACS may differ from the rates reported by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program because of differences in the job search questions, the timing and mode of data collection and the population controls used in each survey. For comparison, these numbers were reported as being 9.5% in 2009, 5.4% in 2008, and 5.8% in 2000.  The Census Bureau advises using caution when comparing the 2000 Census unemployment rate to the ACS figures because of differences in question construction and sampling.