Fair Housing Testing: Selecting, Training, and Managing an Effective Tester Pool

Headnote

Abstract

The paired-testing methodology originated as a tool for fair housing enforcement and has been used in the multiple housing discrimination research studies funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since the late 1970s. In a paired test, testers who are comparably matched on personal, financial, and homeseeking characteristics- except for the characteristic being investigated, such as race or ethnicity-independently record information received by a housing provider. Each tester in the pair collects data that can detect and document the incidence and forms of discrimination at multiple points in the homeseeking process. Whether a fair housing testing study is designed for enforcement or research purposes, its successful implementation requires an effective tester pool. This article highlights important steps in tester selection, training, and management, all of which have been executed by the Urban Institute's Field Operations Team since the spring of 2011 while supervising the completion of more than 13,000 paired tests across multiple housing discrimination studies regarding race and ethnicity, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Introduction

Since the late 1970s, the paired-testing methodology has been used in housing discrimination studies funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to measure patterns of adverse treatment across the housing market. The methodology has been adapted for both research and enforcement purposes to investigate differential treatment on the basis of specific characteristics. For example, in a test designed to estimate the level of discrimination against families with children, two comparably qualified homeseekers-one with children and one without children- inquire about available housing. Each tester documents the information he or she obtains and the level of service provided-from contacting an agent; securing an appointment; meeting with an agent to view available units; and learning about move-in dates, monthly rent, security deposits, utilities, and any required fees. The results of the paired tests are then compared to determine whether and how the treatment experienced by testers with children differs systematically from that experienced by testers without children. Since forms of discrimination can be less blatant than they once were, housing testing studies can reveal important insights into marketwide behaviors and uncover systemic practices that would otherwise go undetected.

Since the spring of 2011, the Urban Institute's Field Operations...