1. Robert Scardamalia
RLS Demographics, Inc.
RLS Demographics, Inc. December 13, 2010

2.  Research Task
 Survey Respondents
 How are Group Quarters Data
Used
 Legal and Regulatory Use in
New York
 Observations
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

3.  Assess the overall importance
of group quarters data in the
ACS.
 Who uses GQ data from the
ACS?
 What is it used for?
 Are there legal/regulatory
requirements for the data?
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

4.  Assess use of population components
 GQ Pop, HH Pop, Total
 How are the data used?
 Allocate funds, provide data, program admin &
development, research
 Geographic levels needed
 National down to tract
 89 Survey recipients (25% response)
 62 Federal agency (9 – 15%)
 11 State agency (7 – 64%)
 6 Local/County/Regional (4 – 67%)
 8 Academic (2 – 25%)
 2 Not-for-Profit
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

5. Household Data Only Frequently Sometimes Never
Allocation of Funds 2
Provide Data 8 3
Policy or Program Admin 7 2
Policy or Program Devel 9 3
Scientific Research 7 5
Group Quarters Data Only Frequently Sometimes Never
Allocation of Funds 1
Provide Data 5
Policy or Program Admin 1 4
Policy or Program Devel 1 7
Scientific Research 2 6
Total Population Universe Frequently Sometimes Never
Allocation of Funds 2 1
Provide Data 7 3
Policy or Program Admin 6 3
Policy or Program Devel 8 4
Scientific Research 5 4
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

6. Group Quarters Type Yes No
Correctional Facilities for Adults 7 5
Juvenile Facilities 5 6
Nursing Facilities 8 3
Other Health Care Facilities 6 4
College/University Student Housing 7 2
Military Group Quarters 5 4
Other Non-Institutional Facilities 5 4
Geography Yes No
Nation 8 1
State 11 1
Cong. Dist. 4 3
Metro Area 10 1
County 9 2
Place/Subcounty 8 3
Tract 5 4
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

7. Local State Federal
Group Quarters Type Govt Govt Govt Academic
Correctional Facilities for Adults 1 2 3 1
Juvenile Facilities 2 3
Nursing Facilities 1 3 3 1
Other Health Care Facilities 2 3 1
College/University Student Housing 1 5 1
Military Group Quarters 4 1
Other Non-Institutional Facilities 2 3
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

8. Do you use ACS group quarters characteristics data?
Yes - 10 No - 2
 Age (young and old)  Geographic location
 Frailty/disability  Family and marital status
 Developmental disability  Country of birth
 Race/ethnicity  Educational attainment
 Income  Occupation
Important to note that these characteristics are not
reported for the GQ population at all geographic levels –
only as a component of the total population
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

9. Future Use Yes No
Do you expect to use in the future? 19 1
Need GQ characteristics in the future? 13 5
Need GQ type in the future? 17 2
 Pop estimates and projections
 Distinction between institutional vs non-institutional
 GQ type
 Commuting
 Local redistricting (prison issue)
 Program development/need (school, social service)
 Housing market analysis (nursing homes, colleges)
 Will only use if ACS data are reliable
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

10.  American FactFinder decennial tables
 State and federal administrative records
 Calls to specific facilities
 Dept. of Corrections
 Dept. of Justice surveys
 Various – DOD, BJS, GED testing service,
IDEA database (?)
 Field work for population estimates program
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

11. Allocation Provide Program Program Scientific
FactFinder Subject Table of Funds Data Admin Devel Research
Aging (total population) 2 9 5 6 4
Commuting (workers 16+) 1 7 3 3 3
Education (total population) 1 6 3 4 4
Poverty (PFWPSD) 3 9 4 7 5
Disability (civ. Non-inst) 1 6 4 5 5
Veterans (civ. Pop 18+) 1 6 3 5 5
Employment (working age 16+) 2 7 4 4 4
GQ Characteristics (GQ pop) 1 7 3 3 4
Health Insurance (civ. Non-Inst) 2 7 4 4 3
Note: population universe for characteristics may include different components of the
group quarters population
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

12.  Search New York State Laws for “census”
keyword
 Eligibility thresholds
 Defining poverty populations
 Defining distressed areas
 NYS Catalog of State and Federal Programs
Aiding Local Governments
 Program eligibility
 Funding allocations
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

13. 210 Citations
 General Municipal  Education
 Executive  Town and County
 Environmental  Elections
 State Finance  Labor
 Tax  Real Property
 Public Health
181 (86%) Use ONLY Population Count from the Census
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

14. 29 Citations Require Population Characteristics
to determine eligibility or define distress
 Age  Language Spoken at
 Household or Family Home
Income  Poverty Rate
 Ability to Speak  Unemployment Rate
English
9 Laws require data at the TRACT level using income,
poverty, and/or unemployment
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

15. 20 Programs Identified that Require Census
Data for Eligibility or Funding – State and
Federal (pass through) Funding
 Dept. of Education  Dept. of Labor
 Housing and  Office of Mental Health
Community Renewal  Office of Temp. and
 Office for the Aging Disability Assistance
 Dept. of Health
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

16.  Academic Achievement
 Special Education
 Reading First
 Housing Vouchers
 Weatherization
 Senior Support Services
 Nutritional Services
 Older Americans Health Services
 Family Caregiver Support
 Immunization
 Lead Poisoning Prevention
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

17. Flow of Funds Federal State
Federal to State
Federal to State to Local $2.4 billion
State to Local $13.0 million $37.7 million
State to Not-for-Profit $62.9 million
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

18.  Universes
 Total Population
 Population by Age (under 6, 55+, 60+, 75+)
 Children in Poverty
 Total Poverty Population
 Disabled Population
 Characteristics
 Ratio of income to poverty
 Family income
 Overcrowding
 Race
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

19.  Would prohibit providing relevant data to
clients
 Cannot accurately measure where older
adults are living, impact on caregivers,
population needs
 Impacts development of survey sampling
frame
 Distortion of socio-economic characteristics
for communities with large facilities
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

20.  If idea is to do away with GQ, need explore
other options to get college students
 If not collected, we would need to use old
data, less reliable data sources, or simply
guess – none of which are good options
 Will not use GQ data by itself, only as part of
the total population
 Most important program service issues: aging,
disability, physical/mental health, substance
abuse, correctional issues
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

21.  Reliabilityis questionable – MOE’s are often
larger than the estimates
 The current strategy for collecting GQ data is
woefully inadequate. We would not
recommend use to others
 Unless sampling and weighting methods are
improved we will recommend using only 2010
Census
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

22.  Are the Group Quarters data used?
 Yes, though not often by itself. More often as a
component of the total population universe.
 Are the Group Quarters data important?
 Yes, particularly where impacts are localized and
for program planning and development
 Are there legal and regulatory requirements?
 Yes, though few relate specifically to the group
quarters population
 Can ACS Group Quarters data be replaced?
 Counts – yes; Characteristics - no
 Are the Group Quarters data accurate?
 Not in its current form.
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.

23. P.O. Box 160
Rensselaerville, NY 12147
(518) 703-0724 (cell)
(518) 797-3163 (home)
bob@rlsdemographics.com
December 13, 2010 RLS Demographics, Inc.