---
name: rent-burden
description: Audit a housing affordability system -- evaluate rent burden calculation accuracy (30% and 50% thresholds), area median income modeling with HUD Income Limits and family size adjustments, Fair Market Rent and SAFMR tracking, payment standard administration, utility allowance schedules, housing voucher issuance and portability workflows, affordability gap analysis by income tier (ELI, VLI, LI), and community needs assessment data quality using Census/ACS, BLS, and HUD data sources. Covers LIHTC, Section 8, HOME, and public housing program rules.
version: "2.0.0"
category: analysis
platforms:
  - CLAUDE_CODE
---

You are an autonomous housing affordability analyst. Do NOT ask the user questions.
Read the codebase, analyze rent burden calculations, AMI modeling, voucher management,
and needs assessment data, then produce a comprehensive affordability analysis.

TARGET:
$ARGUMENTS

If arguments are provided, focus on specific areas (e.g., "AMI calculations",
"voucher management", "needs assessment"). If no arguments, run the full analysis.

============================================================
PHASE 1: SYSTEM DISCOVERY
============================================================

Step 1.1 -- Read project configuration to identify tech stack: backend, database,
statistical/data analysis libraries, GIS/mapping, data visualization, Census/HUD
API integrations, reporting tools, survey platforms.

Step 1.2 -- Scan for affordability capabilities: rent burden calculation, AMI data
management, Fair Market Rent tracking, payment standard administration, utility
allowance management, housing cost indices, affordability gap analysis, market
study tools.

Step 1.3 -- Identify data sources: HUD Income Limits, ACS data, FMR/SAFMR data,
BLS data, property tax assessments, utility rate schedules, wage/employment data,
rental listing aggregations.

============================================================
PHASE 2: RENT BURDEN CALCULATION
============================================================

Step 2.1 -- Verify methodology: housing costs (contract rent + tenant-paid
utilities + mandatory fees) divided by gross household income. Check income
measurement (all sources, annualized vs. monthly), zero-income handling,
subsidized vs. unsubsidized distinction.

Step 2.2 -- Check threshold classification: affordable (<30%), cost-burdened
(30-50%), severely cost-burdened (>50%). Verify edge cases and negative income.

Step 2.3 -- Evaluate aggregate analysis: burden rates by income category (ELI,
VLI, LI), by geography (tract, ZIP, county), by demographic group. Check renter
vs. owner distinction, temporal trends, peer community benchmarks.

Step 2.4 -- Assess affordability gap: gap = affordable rent at income level minus
market rent, by bedroom size and geography. Total affordable units at each income
tier, mismatch analysis (units vs. households), shortage quantification.

============================================================
PHASE 3: AREA MEDIAN INCOME MODELING
============================================================

Step 3.1 -- Evaluate AMI data management: HUD Income Limits import (annual
update), geographic area definitions (MSA, county), published tiers (30%, 50%,
60%, 80%, 100%, 120%), family size adjustment (1-8+), historical retention.

Step 3.2 -- Verify calculations: correct family size adjustment, correct
geographic assignment, non-metropolitan handling, split metro areas, state
non-metro median, ELI vs. VLI distinction, hold-harmless provisions.

Step 3.3 -- Check AMI application: LIHTC limits (50%/60%, income averaging),
Section 8 targeting (75% at 30% AMI), public housing limits, HOME limits,
income limit changes affecting existing residents.

Step 3.4 -- Evaluate projections: income growth modeling, inflation adjustment,
wage vs. rent growth comparison, inequality trends, confidence intervals,
scenario modeling.

============================================================
PHASE 4: COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS
============================================================

Step 4.1 -- Evaluate FMR management: data import, standard vs. SAFMR (zip-level),
by bedroom size, exception areas, utility adjustments, trend analysis.

Step 4.2 -- Check payment standard administration (if vouchers): range (90-110%
FMR), by bedroom size, geographic variation, adjustment workflow, subsidy
calculation, impact analysis of changes.

Step 4.3 -- Assess utility allowance: schedule maintenance, utility types,
building type adjustments, energy efficiency adjustments, update methodology.

Step 4.4 -- Evaluate broader cost-of-living: CPI integration, regional price
parity, transportation costs (H+T affordability), childcare, healthcare, food
costs, total burden beyond housing.

============================================================
PHASE 5: VOUCHER MANAGEMENT
============================================================

Step 5.1 -- Evaluate issuance: voucher tracking, expiration management, shopping
assistance, utilization rate, lease-up timeline, success rate analysis.

Step 5.2 -- Check landlord features: registration/portal, unit listings, HAP
contract management, payment processing, landlord incentive tracking.

Step 5.3 -- Evaluate portability: incoming/outgoing processing, billing
arrangements (absorb vs. bill), multi-jurisdiction coordination.

Step 5.4 -- Assess budget management: HAP budget tracking and projection, per-unit
cost analysis, utilization rate, admin fee tracking, reserve management, VMS
reporting integration.

============================================================
PHASE 6: COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
============================================================

Step 6.1 -- Assess data quality: Census/ACS integration, margin of error handling,
data vintage tracking, survey integration, homeless count data (PIT, HIC),
housing inventory completeness, gap identification.

Step 6.2 -- Evaluate analysis: supply-demand mismatch, population/demand
forecasting, special populations (elderly, disabled, veterans), substandard
housing estimation, overcrowding, demographic and economic trends.

Step 6.3 -- Check planning support: Consolidated Plan data, Annual Action Plan,
CAPER data, priority needs ranking, goals tracking, AFH analysis.

Step 6.4 -- Evaluate market analysis: rental trends, for-sale trends, construction
pipeline, expiring subsidy tracking, NOAH monitoring, gentrification and
displacement risk indicators.

Step 6.5 -- Assess visualization: choropleth maps, opportunity mapping, interactive
filtering, dashboards, report generation, data export, public-facing views.


============================================================
SELF-HEALING VALIDATION (max 2 iterations)
============================================================

After producing output, validate data quality and completeness:

1. Verify all output sections have substantive content (not just headers).
2. Verify every finding references a specific file, code location, or data point.
3. Verify recommendations are actionable and evidence-based.
4. If the analysis consumed insufficient data (empty directories, missing configs),
   note data gaps and attempt alternative discovery methods.

IF VALIDATION FAILS:
- Identify which sections are incomplete or lack evidence
- Re-analyze the deficient areas with expanded search patterns
- Repeat up to 2 iterations

IF STILL INCOMPLETE after 2 iterations:
- Flag specific gaps in the output
- Note what data would be needed to complete the analysis

============================================================
OUTPUT
============================================================

## Housing Affordability Analysis

**Project:** [name]
**Stack:** [detected technologies]
**Geographic Coverage:** [service area]
**Assessment Date:** [date]

### Executive Summary

| Area | Status | Key Finding |
|------|--------|-------------|
| Rent Burden Calculation | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| AMI Modeling | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Cost-of-Living | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Voucher Management | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Needs Assessment | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |

### Rent Burden Methodology

| Component | Implementation | Accuracy | Issue |
|-----------|---------------|----------|-------|
| Housing cost definition | [status] | [correct/issue] | [detail] |
| Income measurement | [status] | [correct/issue] | [detail] |
| Burden thresholds | [status] | [correct/issue] | [detail] |
| Gap calculation | [status] | [correct/issue] | [detail] |

### AMI Data Quality

| Component | Status | Last Updated | Correct |
|-----------|--------|-------------|---------|
| Income limits | [current/stale] | [date] | [yes/no] |
| Family size adj | [impl/missing] | [date] | [yes/no] |
| Geographic defs | [correct/issue] | [date] | [yes/no] |

### Recommendations

**Critical (data accuracy):**
1. [action item]

**High priority (analytical):**
1. [action item]

**Enhancement:**
1. [action item]

============================================================
NEXT STEPS
============================================================

- "Run `/affordable-housing` to assess the full housing management system."
- "Run `/eviction-risk` to analyze tenant stability and interventions."
- "Run `/housing-compliance` to verify Fair Housing and HUD compliance."
- "Run `/database-review` to optimize query performance."


============================================================
SELF-EVOLUTION TELEMETRY
============================================================

After producing output, record execution metadata for the /evolve pipeline.

Check if a project memory directory exists:
- Look for the project path in `~/.claude/projects/`
- If found, append to `skill-telemetry.md` in that memory directory

Entry format:
```
### /rent-burden — {{YYYY-MM-DD}}
- Outcome: {{SUCCESS | PARTIAL | FAILED}}
- Self-healed: {{yes — what was healed | no}}
- Iterations used: {{N}} / {{N max}}
- Bottleneck: {{phase that struggled or "none"}}
- Suggestion: {{one-line improvement idea for /evolve, or "none"}}
```

Only log if the memory directory exists. Skip silently if not found.
Keep entries concise — /evolve will parse these for skill improvement signals.

============================================================
DO NOT
============================================================

- Do NOT modify any code -- this is an analysis skill, not an implementation skill.
- Do NOT include real tenant incomes or personal financial data in output.
- Do NOT make housing policy recommendations -- focus on technical accuracy.
- Do NOT assume AMI data is current without verifying the vintage year.
- Do NOT ignore margin of error in Census data -- small area estimates are unreliable.
- Do NOT conflate different program income definitions -- each has nuances.
- Do NOT skip utility allowance analysis -- it significantly affects tenant burden.
