Development of a Housing Eligibility Assessment Scoring Method for low-income urgent repair programs

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a Housing Eligibility Assessment Scoring Method (HEASM) for low-income Urgent Repair Programs (URPs). Design/methodology/approach In order to develop a practical HEASM that incorporates the prevailing eligibility assessment criteria for low-income URPs, a case study research approach was adopted. Emergent themes and patterns in predominant eligibility assessment criteria and methods are derived from program documents utilized by a successful State Urgent Repair Program (SURP) and its 42 Community Partners operating in the Southeastern region of the USA. Coupled with interviews and the expert analysis of SURP staff, the quantitative analysis of 11,414 repaired homes and literature reviews were used to categorize predominant eligible housing repairs and costs. Findings The five key eligibility assessment criteria categories that emerged from the data analysis are: location, owner-occupancy, family needs, housing repair, and estimated repair costs. The framework of the proposed HEASM is guided by these five categories. Originality/value URP decision makers are provided with a simple, practical, and objective eligibility assessment method that can be easily modified to accommodate the unique eligibility criteria and local program conditions. This method should improve the eligibility assessment, prioritization, and the eventual selection of qualifying applicants. Consequently, the capacity of URPs to provide funding to their targeted populations with the most critical needs would be enhanced. Insights could drive the impetus to modify existing URP.