Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Puerto Rico Department of Housing

Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 9% having issued approximately 1,025 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 11 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 62 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.4 persons and has a household income of $4,920 per year. 92% of households were very low income (VLI) and 74% were extremely low income (ELI). 19% of households had wages as a major source of income, 8% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 57% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

1% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 56% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 20% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 23% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

47% of households included children, 6% of which had two adults in the household. 45% of households with children have a female head of household. 85% of all households were headed by a female.

100% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 0% of all heads of households being Black and 4% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Puerto Rico Department of Housing Housing Choice Voucher program, 8% include at least one person with a disability. 12% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 31% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

25% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 24% with 2 bedrooms and 51% with 3 or more bedrooms. 19% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances
The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Puerto Rico Department of Housing voucher holders in 2016 was $110 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $600. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $97.

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