American Housing Survey - History

History

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conceived of the idea of a database that would assess the quality of the housing stock, analyze its characteristics, record what Americans were paying for housing and related services, and monitor how housing units changed over time. The U.S. Census Bureau worked with HUD to convert this idea into a full-fledged survey—complete with sampling frame, questionnaires, and survey procedures. With HUD funding, the Census Bureau launched the first Annual Housing Survey in 1973.

The 1973 survey was a national survey with metropolitan surveys beginning in 1974. The metropolitan surveys included 60 metropolitan area, with 20 surveys per year every three years. Now, the AHS metropolitan survey included 21 areas that are surveyed at six-year intervals, with seven metropolitan areas each survey year. Each survey included between 3,000 and 5,000 sample housing units.

Between 1973 and 1981, the Census Bureau conducted the national surveys annually. The national surveys have samples that range from 5,000 to 60,000-plus housing units. From 1983 to the present time, the Census Bureau conducted the AHS national survey every two years. And in 1985, the Annual Housing Survey was renamed the American Housing Survey.

The AHS has used three different national samples. The 1973 and 1974 reports use a sample drawn in 1973 using the 1970 census as a sampling frame; the 1975 through 1983 reports use a sample drawn in 1975 using the 1970 census as a sampling frame; and the 1985 through 2005 reports use a sample drawn in 1985 using the 1980 census as a sampling frame. With each new survey, the Census Bureau updates the sample it uses for additions to the stock from new construction or other sources.

Just as the AHS and its sample have evolved over time the AHS report formats have also changes over time. The 1973 through 1983 reports use a common format; the 1985 through 2005 reports use another common format. These changes, as well as other factors, affect the continuity of the data. In some cases, information is not available on a particular subject for all the national surveys.

Questions in the AHS are frequently updated to reflect the changes in society, demographics, and economic patterns. For example, the 2001 National AHS was updated to include new variables and information regarding mortgages, lines of credit, citizenship, nationality, and country of birth. In 2003, the definition of race was changed to allow for mixed race categories. And in 2005, the questions regarding household and householder income were redefined.

Recently HUD published a paper called 32 Years of Housing Data that summarizes data from all the national surveys.