--- title: How to use the National Housing Preservation Database Like a Pro description: Discover how to use the National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD) to find, analyze, and preserve affordable rental housing. image: https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/667f775a-321c-4bba-ab3d-b9ae2def94c8.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.haigroup.com/how-to-use-the-national-housing-preservation-database-like-a-pro#main-content) [![hai-logo-KO-256px](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/hai-logo-KO-256px.png?width=256&height=57&name=hai-logo-KO-256px.png "hai-logo-KO-256px")](https://www.haigroup.com/) - SEARCH - [Research](https://blog.haigroup.com/tag/research) # How to use the National Housing Preservation Database Like a Pro ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/667f775a-321c-4bba-ab3d-b9ae2def94c8.jpg) - October 28, 2026 ![Cate Asp | Research Analyst](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/Cate_Asp.png) [Cate Asp | Research Analyst](https://blog.haigroup.com/author/cate-asp) [\< Back to Resource Center](https://blog.haigroup.com) [Affordable housing](https://blog.haigroup.com/explained-public-housing-vs.-affordable-housing)  plays a vital role in communities across the country, making up 10% of the nation’s total rental housing stock. From retirees on fixed incomes to veterans, working families, and people with disabilities, affordable housing provides critical stability. However, more than 440,000 affordable homes face expiring affordability restrictions in the next five years making reliable, up-to-date data more critical than ever to ensure these homes can be identified and preserved before they are lost. That’s where the [National Housing Preservation Database](https://preservationdatabase.org) (NHPD) comes in. Maintained by the [Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation](https://www.pahrc.org/), HAI Group’s research division, and the [National Low Income Housing Coalition](https://nlihc.org/), the NHPD is a detailed, deduplicated, property-level list of federally assisted rental properties nationwide. Whether you're an advocate, policymaker, researcher, or affordable housing provider, the NHPD is a powerful tool for preservation planning, advocacy, and decision-making. Some of the specific ways the NHPD has been used include:  ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Sep-10-2025-12-22-40-2307-PM.png?width=866&height=373&name=undefined-Sep-10-2025-12-22-40-2307-PM.png) In this blog, HAI Group’s research division, we will dive into how affordable housing providers can use the NHPD to search for affordable housing properties, inform advocacy, and identify at-risk properties. ## NHPD Tools for Success The NHPD is a collection of data and tools to help you understand affordable housing in your community. You can use it to inform your city’s preservation plan, select properties to preserve, prepare for advocacy meetings with a clear summary of affordable housing in your area, or see where affordable housing is in your community. ### Database The NHPD’s filtered grid is a user-friendly tool ideal for quick, targeted searches of specific properties. After logging in, users can apply a range of filters, such as location, subsidy program, and expiration date, to create customized views of the database. For instance, users can easily find all Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties in Chicago with subsidies expiring in the next five years by applying the relevant filters. ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-23-51-5765-PM.png?width=975&height=463&name=image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-23-51-5765-PM.png) With the filtered grid, you can easily: - Create custom data extracts by dragging and dropping fields - Expand rows by clicking the arrow to the left of each property to view detailed subsidy information - Export your filtered results to share with your community and interested stakeholders For more advanced analysis, the NHPD also offers downloadable pre-packaged data extracts that provide a comprehensive view of property and subsidy data in a flat table format. ### Federally Assisted Housing Insights Dashboard ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-42-32-9549-PM.png?width=975&height=585&name=image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-42-32-9549-PM.png) Our recently launched [Federally Assisted Housing Insights Dashboard](https://preservationdatabase.org/preservation-dashboard/) helps users explore characteristics about their state, county, and congressional district’s affordable housing stock to support policy, research, and advocacy efforts. To use the dashboard, select State, County, or Congressional district and then use the dropdowns on the left-hand side to filter to your area of interest. You can export the dashboard to PDF by clicking Create PDF or as an image by clicking Create Image. ### Preservation Risk Dashboard ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-46-22-9662-PM.png?width=975&height=585&name=image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-46-22-9662-PM.png) The [Preservation Dashboard](https://preservationdatabase.org/preservation-dashboard/) visualizes risks impacting the affordable housing stock by region for advocates, stakeholders, and policymakers. As the affordable housing stock continues to age, many affordable rental homes face growing capital needs and expiring affordability restrictions. You can filter the Preservation Risk Dashboard by State, County, or Congressional district to learn more about the preservation needs and risks in your community. Want to explore the data further? Click Data to download summary reporting data for your area of interest. ### The NHPD Mapping Tool ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-26-07-0813-PM.png?width=975&height=381&name=image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-26-07-0813-PM.png) The [NHPD Mapping Tool](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8d2ba145d49545f3b9976443902b2a88/page/Page) offers an interactive way to explore affordable housing in your area. To get started, use the filter panel on the left side of the map to select the criteria that matter most to you, such the primary funding stream, number of bedrooms per unit, or total unit count. You can also zoom to your area of interest using the magnifying glass in the bottom right corner. To view a summary of the characteristics of properties that have been filtered, click the star icon in the top right corner. The Nearby Tool provides two ways to explore properties based on proximity. You can drop a point on the map to find properties within a specific radius of your area of interest or draw a custom area using the polygon feature. Properties are color-coded by their primary funding stream to make it easy to quickly visualize the subsidies that support affordable homes in your area of interest. To view the legend that explains each color, simply open the legend icon. ### Affordable Housing Preservation Toolkit Another resource in the NHPD’s suite of tools is the [Affordable Housing Preservation Toolkit](https://preservationdatabase.org/preservation-resources/preservation-toolkit/). Designed for affordable housing advocates and planners, the toolkits help users understand their housing stock, assess preservation risks, and identify strategies to protect affordability. Each toolkit highlights five opportunities community partners can consider when developing an affordable housing preservation plan: - Assessing the local affordable housing stock - Building partnerships to support affordable housing - Encouraging owners of properties with expiring rent restrictions to maintain affordability commitments - Investing in the preservation of high-quality affordable housing - Adopting policies that support long-term affordability With affordability restrictions on more than 440,000 homes set to expire within the next five years, understanding the risks facing the affordable housing stock is increasingly important. Explore the [2026 Preservation Toolkits](https://preservationdatabase.org/preservation-resources/preservation-toolkit/) for the 50 largest metropolitan areas and all 50 states. Need a toolkit for another area? [Request a free custom toolkit tailored to your community](https://visit.mysidewalk.com/the-affordable-housing-preservation-toolkit?hsCtaTracking=201c409d-9975-44e3-9106-6742524a7ce2%7C5005a666-d180-49e5-a6f8-2be695f96ca3). ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-50-47-9265-PM.png?width=975&height=266&name=image-png-Oct-26-2026-03-50-47-9265-PM.png) ## Getting Started with the NHPD The NHPD is updated twice a year to provide users with the most up-to-date picture of affordable housing in their communities. For the first time, the NHPD now includes data on properties assisted by state funded subsidies in California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia and was updated to include the most recent data for the District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, and Vermont. In total, this state data refresh added over 1,300 new properties to the NHPD! Is your state not represented? If you have state-funded subsidy data that you would like to see incorporated in the NHPD, please reach out us at [datafeedback@preservationdatabase.org](mailto:datafeedback@preservationdatabase.org). ## How You Can Use the Nation’s Only Deduplicated List of Affordable Rental Properties Interested in diving into the NHPD? The [NHPD User Guide](https://preservationdatabase.org/documentation/user-guide/) includes step-by-step instructions to use the NHPD to identify properties at risk of loss, create a local preservation database, locate LIHTC properties approaching year 15, and find specific properties. [Webinars](https://preservationdatabase.org/preservation-resources/webinars/), [video tutorials](https://preservationdatabase.org/access/), and a [FAQ page](https://preservationdatabase.org/faqs/) are also available to help you navigate and make the most of the data. Now, let’s dive into common ways affordable housing providers have used the NHPD! ### Looking up specific properties Do you want to investigate a particular affordable rental property? Whether you are a PHA, investor, developer looking to preserve affordable housing in your community, or an individual looking for housing assistance, the NHPD is a great resource for finding a property that meets your goals. There are multiple different ways to locate your property of interest and find detailed information about the property using the NHPD. Beyond our filtered grid and prepackaged data extracts, you can also access the [Mapping Tool](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8d2ba145d49545f3b9976443902b2a88/page/Page) to aid you by searching for a specific property or simply visualize affordable housing in your area.in your search. To locate your property, follow these tips: - Search as many fields as possible in the filtered grid, including: - Property name - Address - Street name - If nothing comes up, try using just a keyword. For example, if the property is called The Pines, search for just “Pines” in case the name appears differently in the database - Use the [Mapping Tool](https://haigroup.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d63371fafbfb408abe437a971f3ff915) to view the property’s footprint - Google the property if it isn’t in the NHPD Once you locate your property of interest, you will be able to see the rental subsidies that assist the property, their expiration dates, the owner’s name and type, manager’s name and type, latest REAC/NSPIRE score if applicable, and more. ### Identifying at-risk properties By leveraging data from the NHPD, users can assess their local affordable housing stock and develop strategies to maintain long-term affordability. For example, Montgomery County, Maryland, used the NHPD to identify affordable properties that were nearing the expiration of their affordability restrictions that were located in low-poverty neighborhoods, near rail transit, serving the lowest-income populations, and were owned by for-profit organizations in their [preservation study](https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/housing/preservation-of-affordable-housing/) to aid their long-term strategic planning. Other regions that have used the NHPD to inform preservation plans include: - The City of Anderson, Indiana, in their [2024 Annual Action Plan](https://www.cityofanderson.com/DocumentCenter/View/4862/PY-2024-2025-Annual-Action-Plan-Draft) - New Hampshire’s Housing Finance Agency, in their [2023 Statewide Housing Needs Assessment](https://www.nhhfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-NH-Statewide-Housing-Needs-Assessment.pdf) - The City of Las Cruz, New Mexico, in their [Affordable Housing Investment Strategy](https://lascruces.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-3-4-Las-Cruces-Affordable-Housing-Investment-Strategy.pdf) - The City of Norfolk, Virginia, in their [Strategic Housing Plan Update](https://www.norfolk.gov/DocumentCenter/View/85062/3-12-2024-Norfolk-Housing-Study) - Falmouth Town, Maine, in their [Housing Needs Assessment through the State of Maine Housing Data Portal](https://dev.hra-dashtest.com/report/6568f05f24ba514a2c3b818a/2300524495/home#64b5586cef3e47398d8867cf) Local governments, housing advocates, and developers can use the NHPD to identify opportunities to preserve at-risk properties. By linking this data with local knowledge and funding resources, stakeholders can proactively intervene before affordability is lost. To identify at-risk properties using the NHPD’s filtered grid: 1. Filter for properties with a property status equal to active or inconclusive. 2. Set the latest end date to five years from today and set the filter to “is less than.” This will show you properties with subsidies set to expire in the next five years. 3. Filter by city, state, zip code, county, or congressional district to focus on the area you care about. 4. (Optional) Filter the list based on your own local risk criteria or preservation priorities. Possible Characteristics to Filter by to Inform Preservation Planning: ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-56-07-1129-PM.png?width=1209&height=302&name=image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-56-07-1129-PM.png) ## Learn from your Housing Peers Looking for inspiration for how to use the NHPD? Check out what NHPD users are saying about how the database supports their work: - A regional planner at [The Housing Collective](https://thehousingcollective.org/), a nonprofit based out of Connecticut working to expand access to safe and affordable homes, [uses the NHPD to better understand statewide housing challenges](https://blog.haigroup.com/how-the-housing-collective-uses-the-nhpd-to-protect-affordable-housing): “The NHPD quickly became one of the most useful tools available to us…It allowed us to see the portion of Connecticut’s affordable housing stock that is supported by public subsidies and subject to affordability restrictions, along with when those restrictions might expire.” - A [Providence Housing Authority](https://provhousing.org/) Commissioner notes [that the NHPD has helped them “Gain an accurate picture of federally assisted housing by combining HUD and USDA programs in one system.”](https://blog.haigroup.com/using-data-to-protect-affordable-housing-in-rhode-island) Data on expiration dates, physical condition assessments, and loan maturity dates helps Providence Housing Authority identify properties that may be at risk of loss from the affordable housing stock. - A Senior policy analyst from [Partnership for Strong Communities](https://pschousing.org), a Connecticut advocacy, research, and convening organizations, shared that [they use the NHPD to support their annual State of Housing in Connecticut report and Housing Data Profiles](https://blog.haigroup.com/using-data-to-strengthen-housing-advocacy-in-connecticut) which are useful tools for helping legislators, advocates, and other stakeholders understand their local housing stock. - A Senior Policy Manager at [National Housing Trust](https://nationalhousingtrust.org/) (NHT), a nationwide nonprofit focused on affordable housing preservation, [described the NHPD](https://blog.haigroup.com/how-national-housing-trust-uses-the-nhpd-to-advance-affordable-housing-preservation) as a “good starting point for understanding the universe of properties we're trying to preserve through our technical assistance, policy advocacy, research, and policy solutions.” NHT uses the database to support preservation across the country, including assisting with statewide planning in Virginia and highlighting the role small properties play in Pennsylvania, supplementing NHPD data with local knowledge and other administrative sources to identify preservation opportunities. --- The NHPD is more than a database: It’s a collection of resources to help preserve affordable housing. Whether you're an individual, researcher, advocate, PHA, policymaker, or affordable housing stakeholder, the NHPD is for you. Ready to use the NHPD in your work? Get started by checking out our updated [user guide](https://preservationdatabase.org/documentation/user-guide/). ![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-31-38-8156-PM.png?width=854&height=728&name=image-png-Sep-10-2025-12-31-38-8156-PM.png) Interested in sharing how you use the database in your work? Have feedback or suggestions on how to improve the database? You can fill out the [NHPD annual user survey here.](https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8317544/Annual-National-Housing-Preservation-Database-User-Survey) The information presented is for general reference only. HAI Group makes no representation or warranty about the accuracy or applicability of this information for any particular use or circumstance. Your use of this information is at your own discretion and risk. HAI Group and any author or contributor identified herein assume no responsibility for your use of this information. You should consult with your legal, professional or subject matter advisor before implementing any new strategy or policy. HAI Group® is the registered trademark of Housing Authority Risk Retention Group, Inc. and its related companies. For a complete list of HAI Group companies, visit www.haigroup.com. Products or services may not be available in all jurisdictions. Certain property and casualty coverage may be provided by a risk retention group or a surplus lines insurer or by a third party. Risk retention groups and surplus lines insurers do not participate in state guaranty funds and their insureds are not protected by such funds. Don't Miss This ## Related Content [![](https://blog.haigroup.com/hubfs/GettyImages-2203913956.png)](https://blog.haigroup.com/how-the-housing-collective-uses-the-nhpd-to-protect-affordable-housing) - October 28, 2026 ### [How The Housing Collective Uses The NHPD to Protect Affordable Housing](https://blog.haigroup.com/how-the-housing-collective-uses-the-nhpd-to-protect-affordable-housing) March 26, 2026 Across the country, housing organizations are working to preserve existing affordable housing while expanding supply.... 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