Housing Counseling Process Evaluation and Design of ... - HUD User

Characteristics of Counseling Clients
Race and Ethnicity
In 2007, 1.7 million individuals received housing counseling services through HUD-approved
counseling agencies. As shown in Exhibit 7-2, 54 percent of counseling clients are white, 36 percent
are black or African American, 5 percent are another race, and 6 percent are two or more races.
About one fifth of counseling clients are Hispanic. The racial and ethnic composition of counseling
clients has remained stable over the past five years, with none of the categories changing by more
than a percentage point between 2003 and 2007. Compared to the U.S. population as a whole,
counseling clients are substantially more likely to be non-white and somewhat more likely to be
Hispanic.
Exhibit 7-2. Race and Ethnicity of Counseling Clients in 2007
Percent of
Percent of U.S.
Counseling Clients
Population
Race
White 54% 80%
Black or African American 35% 13%
Asian 3% 4%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 1% 1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 1% 0%
Two or more races 6% 2%
Ethnicity
Hispanic 19% 15%
Not Hispanic 81% 85%
Source: Abt Associates tabulations of HUD 9902 data and U.S. Census 2007 population estimates.
Note: Based on data submitted by 1,631 agencies.
Overall, 49 percent of the agencies surveyed serve a client population that is predominantly non-white
(i.e., 50 percent or more of clients are some race other than white) and 51 percent serve a client
population that is predominantly white (Exhibit 7-3).
Exhibit 7-3.
Distribution of Agencies by Share of Non-white Clients
Less than 25% of clients are non-white
25% to less than 50% of clients are non-white
50% to less than 75% of clients are non-white
75% or more of clients are non-white
Total
Percent of
Agencies
33%
18%
20%
29%
100%
Source: Abt Associates tabulations of HUD 9902 data linked to data from the counseling agency survey.
Note: Based on survey responses of 1,102 agencies.
100
Chapter 7. Client Characteristics and Outcomes