CURRENT HOUSING REPORTS H121/95-1 American Housing Survey by Rameswar P. Chakrabarty, assisted by Georgina Torres U.S. Department of Housing U.S. Department of Commerce and Urban Development Economics and Statistics Administration OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT BUREAU OF THE CENSUS AND RESEARCH Acknowledgments This report was written in the Statistical Research Division (SRD), by Rameswar P. Chakrabarty, assisted by Georgina Torres of the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division (HHES) under the general direction of Lynn Weidman of SRD. It was prepared as a result of the combined efforts of HHES, Demographic Statistical Methods Division (DSMD), Demographic Surveys Division (DSD), Field Division (FLD), and SRD. James E. Hartman and Carol M. Mylet of DSMD wrote the section, ‘‘Future Research/Planned Changes for AHS.’’ Edward D. Montfort, HHES; James E. Hartman and Dennis J. Schwanz, DSMD; John C. Cannon, DSD; and Stephen T. Mann, FLD provided invaluable support to the author by providing relevant source material, requested information, expertise, helpful comments, and suggestions, and reviewing the report for accuracy and completeness. The author would also like to thank many other persons who provided relevant material on certain topics and/or reviewed some sections of the report. These persons are John Bushery, Cornette Cole, Patricia Feindt, Andrea Meier, Irwin Schreiner, and Richard Summers, DSMD; Richard F. Blass, Medell Ford, and Richard Liquorie, FLD; Edward A. Hayes, DSD; and Barbara Williams, HHES. Maria Cantwell and Carol Macauley of SRD provided secretarial assistance in preparing the manuscript. The staff of the Administrative and Customer Services Division (ACSD), Walter C. Odom, Chief, performed publication planning, design, composition, editorial review, and printing planning and procurement. Barbara M. Abbott provided publication coordina- tion and editing. CURRENT HOUSING REPORTS H121/95-1 Issued July 1996 American Housing Survey by Rameswar P. Chakrabarty, assisted by Georgina Torres U.S. Department of Housing U.S. Department of Commerce and Urban Development Michael Kantor, Secretary Henry Cisneros, Secretary Economics and Statistics Administration Everett M. Ehrlich, Under Secretary Michael A. Stegman, for Economic Affairs Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research BUREAU OF THE CENSUS Martha Farnsworth Riche, Director ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS ADMINISTRATION Economics and BUREAU OF THE CENSUS OFFICE OF POLICY Statistics Administration DEVELOPMENT AND Martha Farnsworth Riche, RESEARCH Everett M. Ehrlich, Director Michael A. Stegman, Under Secretary Bryant Benton, for Economic Affairs Assistant Secretary for Deputy Director Policy Development Paula J. Schneider, and Research Principal Associate Director for Programs Frederick J. Eggers, Deputy Assistant Secretary Nancy M. Gordon, for Economic Affairs Associate Director for Demographic Programs Duane T. McGough, Director, Housing and Daniel H. Weinberg, Demographic Analysis Division Chief, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 III Contents Chapter 1. Introduction and Summary ..... 1 Chapter 2. AHS Sample Design................ 11 Introduction............................................... 1 Objectives of AHS ....................................... 11 Objectives of the Report .............................. 1 Description of the Survey ............................... 11 Sources of Data on Quality for AHS ................. 1 Sample Design for AHS-National ....................... 12 Sources of Additional Information .................... 1 Selection of Sample Areas............................ 12 Structure of the Report................................ 2 Selection of the Sample Housing Units From the 1980 Census ......................................... 12 Summary ................................................. 2 Selection of New Construction Housing Units in Sample Design, Frames, and Undercoverage....... 2 Permit-Issuing Areas................................. 13 Potential Sources of Errors in the Data Collection HUCS Sample ......................................... 13 Procedure ............................................ 2 Housing Units Added Since the 1980 Census....... 14 Listing error ......................................... 3 Sample Size—1985 AHS-National...................... 14 Problems with the coverage improvement Sample Design for AHS-MS............................. 14 screening procedure ............................... 3 Designation of AHS-MS Sample Housing Units ..... 15 Errors in Classification of Housing Units............. 3 AHS-MS Original Sample Selection for the 1970- Nonresponse Error ................................... 3 Based Area Sample of the Metropolitan Areas .... 17 Unable-to-locate units .............................. 3 Sample from the 1970-based permit-issuing Noninterviews ....................................... 3 universe ............................................ 18 Item nonresponse................................... 4 Sample from the 1970-based new construction universe ............................................ 18 Measurement Errors .................................. 4 Sample from the 1970-based nonpermit Questionnaire design, content, and wording ...... 4 universe............................................ 18 Interview mode...................................... 4 Sample selection for the AHS-MS Coverage Field representative effects......................... 5 Improvement Program ............................... 19 Response errors .................................... 5 AHS-MS Sample Selection for the 1980-Based Response error in year built data .................. 5 Area Sample of the Metropolitan Areas ............ 19 Problems with the number of units in structure Sample from the 1980-based permit-issuing question............................................. 5 universe ............................................ 19 Problems with the tenure question ................ 6 Sample from the 1980-based new construction Verification of reporting of cooperatives and universe ............................................ 20 condominiums ..................................... 6 Sample from the 1980-based nonpermit Response error in multiunit structure universe............................................ 20 characteristics ..................................... 7 Frames and Undercoverage ............................ 20 Data Processing Errors .............................. 7 Quality assurance results for keying .............. 7 Research on regional office preedit................ 7 Chapter 3. Data Collection Procedures ..... 23 Comparison of AHS with other data.................. 7 Introduction............................................... 23 Comparison of AHS utility costs with RECS ...... 8 Data Collection Staff ..................................... 23 Comparison of AHS Income With Independent Mode of Interview........................................ 23 Estimates .......................................... 8 Field Representative Characteristics, Training, and Supervision ............................................. 23 Future Research/Planned Changes for AHS ........ 8 Field Representative Characteristics ................. 23 Coverage ............................................. 8 Field Representative Training......................... 23 Nonresponse error ................................... 8 Initial training ........................................ 24 Response error....................................... 9 Supplemental training............................... 24 IV Chapter 3. Data Collection Procedures Chapter 5. Measurement Errors—Con. —Con. Quality Control Procedures and Supervision ........ 24 CATI Experiments in the AHS-National, 1987, Questionnaire checks............................... 24 1989, and 1991 ...................................... 41 Performance observation and standards .......... 24 Design of the experiments ......................... 42 Accuracy and consistency.......................... 24 Preliminary analyses................................ 42 Reinterviews......................................... 25 Additional analyses ................................. 44 Recommendations—Should CATI be used in Data Collection Instruments ............................. 25 future enumerations of AHS-National? ........... 47 Items Added ........................................... 25 Items Dropped......................................... 25 Field Representative Effects ............................ 47 Questionnaire Content ................................ 25 Response Errors ......................................... 47 Information about the household................... 25 Index of inconsistent response..................... 51 Information about the unit .......................... 25 L-fold index.......................................... 51 Equipment and facilities ............................ 25 1985 AHS-MS Reinterview .............................. 54 Housing costs ....................................... 25 Reasons Moved (Question 52) ....................... 54 Quality Indicators ........................................ 26 Major Repairs.......................................... 54 The building ........................................... 26 Mortgage (Question 96)............................... 55 The neighborhood ..................................... 26 Mobility Supplement (Questions 177-183) ........... 55 Recent mover