FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY APRIL 20, 1998 Public Information Office CB98-65 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Ed Montfort 301-457-3235 Fifteen Metropolitan Areas Selected for American Housing Survey A sample of 72,000 housing units is being visited in 15 metropolitan areas as part of the American Housing Survey, conducted by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The survey began in March and continues through November 1998. By law, all information about sample respondents and their housing units is kept strictly confidential. In the survey, the Census Bureau collects data on the number and types of housing units and changes in the number of housing units resulting from new construction and from losses caused by such factors as disasters. The data will enable analysts to compare the percentages of units owned or rented and the frequency of mechanical and utility breakdowns and other indicators of the physical characteristics of residential structures. The survey also provides data on the characteristics of occupants and housing costs, such as rent, utilities, fuel and mortgage payments. A different group of metropolitan areas is surveyed every four to six years; then the cycle is repeated. Metropolitan areas in this year's survey are: Baltimore, Md. San Jose, Calif. Boston, Mass.-N.H. Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va. Houston, Texas Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.-N.C. Oakland, Calif. Birmingham, Ala. Salt Lake City, Utah Rochester, N.Y. San Francisco, Calif. Providence-Pawtucket-Warwick, R.I.-Mass. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. Households selected for the survey receive a letter from James F. Holmes, acting director of the Census Bureau, informing them of the survey. Census Bureau representatives obtain information about the housing units from the occupants and carry an official identification card bearing their photograph and signature. Data for unoccupied units are obtained from owners, rental agents, realtors or knowledgeable neighbors. Joint HUD-Census Bureau reports will be issued about 10 months after the interviews are completed. Data will be published for the metropolitan areas, their central city or cities and suburbs.-X-Editor's Note: The Public Information Office now has a media-access server for embargoed news releases and data sets. It is available to accredited media representatives only. To gain access, please contact us for a username and password. The media-access server's Internet address is http://www.census.gov/dcmd/www/embargo/embargo.html. We would appreciate any comments you may have about the site. The Census Bureau pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In more than 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries and institutions.
