In and Around the Home 1997 Issued August 1999 Housing Profile AHB/99-1

This brief presents findings from an analysis elevator available on their floor. This American of data from the 1997 American Housing percentage drops to 42 percent for those Housing Survey, a study of 53,000 housing units with four to six floors and 10 percent for Brief across the United States. Within this total, apartments in buildings with three or there were considerable differences in size, fewer stories. construction, and features. HOME HEATING: Slightly fewer STRUCTURE HEIGHT: With the than one in ten homes (9 percent) exception of mobile homes, the was uncomfortably cold for at majority of residential units are least one 24-hour period during in structures with more than the winter. one level. Very few occupied housing units, less than 1 About 55 percent of single-family, detached percent nationwide, had no heating equip- units have two or more floors. Among ment. The majority (nearly nine in ten) had a attached units, the proportion rises to 65 central heating system. The two leading percent, with units in multiunit buildings causes for not having sufficient heat were coming in at 87 percent. Whether attached utility interruptions (such as power blackouts or detached, single-family homes are seldom due to storm damage or accidents) and taller than three stories (about 5 percent of equipment breakdowns. Only about one in attached and 3 percent of detached are four households reported their homes had higher). Even among multiunit structures, more than one type of heating equipment. 80 percent of units are in buildings with About 30 percent of homes with more than three or fewer floors. Approximately 5 one source of heat had portable electric percent of apartments are in buildings with heaters as backups. ten or more floors. About half of these units are in buildings located in the Northeast.

Using the stairs may be hazardous. One in ten households living in multiunit buildings reported that the hand railings on the stairs Monthly Housing Costs by were not firmly attached. Among the Number of Bedrooms: 1997 households in multiunit buildings, 16 Owner Renter percent said that the building’s stairways had 1 bedroom $325 $475 some loose, broken, or missing steps. 2 bedrooms $365 $565 Elevators are an option for some house- 3 bedrooms $540 $647 holds. Not surprisingly, taller residential 4 or more bedrooms $815 $698 buildings usually have elevators. Eighty- Source: U.S. Census Bureau three percent of units in multiunit buildings American Housing Survey: 1997 with seven or more floors have a working

U.S. Department of Housing U.S. Department of Commerce and Urban Development Economics and Statistics Administration OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT U.S. CENSUS BUREAU U.S. Census Bureau AND RESEARCH 1 The top three main house heating Figure 1. Less than 25% fuels were piped gas, electricity, and Percent of Income Spent 25% to 34% fuel oil. Together, these three fuels on Housing: 1997 35% to 49% 50% or more provided heating for over nine in ten households (91 percent). Consid- 70 13 79 ered over the entire year, the median Owners monthly charges for these fuels were

$42 for gas, $63 for electricity, and Renters 4120 1524 $63 for fuel oil.

PARKING: Slightly more Northeast region 56 17 1017 than nine in ten American households (91 percent) Midwest region 67 15 811 have at least one car, van, or light truck at home for personal use. South region 63 14 913 Because 71 percent of homeowners and 35 percent of renters have more West region 53 18 1217 than one vehicle, parking space can be a real concern. Garages or Percent of households Note: Numbers may not sum to 100 because of rounding. carports are common for households Source: U.S. Census Bureau living in single-detached units–just American Housing Survey: 1997 over three in four of these homes (76 percent) have a covered shelter MORTGAGES AND LOANS: mortgages. Fewer than two in ten for vehicles. Townhouses or row Just under half (49 percent) (19 percent) homeowners with a houses, on the other hand, include a of homeowners used their mortgage and/or a home equity garage or carport less than half the savings for the largest loan had more than one loan on time (46 percent). In both mobile portion of the down their home. homes and units in multiunit build- payment when they bought ings, the proportion is 26 percent. or built their home. HOUSING PROBLEMS: About one in three made their down About 7 in 100 American At homes without a garage or payments chiefly from money households lived in homes carport available, vehicles may be obtained by the sale of a previous with moderate or severe left either on the street or in a home; another 7 percent were not physical problems. driveway, parking lot, or other off- required to make a down payment. street space. For homes without a Nearly seven million households The remaining owners got money for garage or carport, some kind of off- had homes with major problems, the down payment from a variety of street space is available at 87 such as the lack of a complete sources, such as investments, gifts, percent of the detached units, at kitchen, poor building or hallway or using the land as collateral. about 75 percent of both the single- maintenance, or the absence of or attached units and units in multiunit frequent breakdowns in the plumb- Six in ten homeowners had a structures, and at 90 percent of the ing, heating or electrical systems. mortgage or home equity loan on mobile homes. Forty-six percent of the homes with their property in 1997. Eighty-seven problems were single-family, de- percent of owners with a regular All this leaves about 7.8 million tached houses rather than apart- mortgage had a fixed-rate, fixed- households who must rely on street ments in multiunit buildings or other term, self-amortizing loan for their parking. Of course, not all of those types of structures. primary mortgage. Adjustable-rate, households have vehicles. Four in adjustable-term, balloon payment, ten households who report no Although renter households made and other mortgage variations made offstreet or garage parking also have up just 34 percent of all households, up the remainder of the primary no vehicles. renters lived in about six in ten of

2 U.S. Census Bureau Figure 2. no-cash-rent units and 11 percent for Number and Type of Vehicles the more expensive rental units. by Tenure: 1997 Percent trucks (Percent of households) Percent cars Additional information from the survey is presented in Table 1 and Owner households Figures 1 and 2. 45% Source and Accuracy

30 of the Estimates. This Brief is one of a series that presents information of current

25% policy interest, using data from 14 household members. Statistics from surveys are subject to sampling 18% variability, as well as survey design 35 flaws, respondent classification and reporting errors, and data processing 6% mistakes. The Census Bureau and 4% 35 2% the Department of Housing and 86 70 65 65 Urban Development have taken None One Two Three Four Five or more steps to minimize errors, and Number of vehicles analytical statements have been Renter households tested to meet statistical standards. However, because of methodological 44% differences, use caution when 12 comparing these data with data from other sources.

For information on the source of data and the accuracy of estimates, 26% including the use and computation 21% 23 of standard errors, see the “1997 American Housing Survey (AHS) Errors Statement.”

7% Contact: 40 38 2% American Housing Survey Staff 1% 88 77 60 62 Housing and Household Economic None One Two Three Four Five or more Statistics Division Number of vehicles 301-457-3235 E-mail: Note: Numbers may not sum to 100 because of rounding. Data recorded on number of vehicles were limited to 5 or more cars and 5 or more trucks; therefore, percentage of each [email protected] type of vehicle for households with 5 or more vehicles cannot be determined. Source:U.S. Census Bureau American Housing Survey: 1997 Detailed tabulations can be found on the American Housing Survey (AHS) section of the U.S. Census Bureau’s more likely than the higher cost the units with severe or moderate web site at http://www.census.gov/ units (those renting for $250 per problems. Lower-cost rental units hhes/www/ahs.html month or more) to have significant (those with a gross rent of under problems. The proportions were $250 per month) and units occupied 16 percent for both low-cost and without payment of cash rent were

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