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Public Information Office CB99-177
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e-mail: pio@census.gov
Paul Harple
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Nearly 10 Percent of America's Homes Experienced At Least One
Heatless Day During Winter of '97, Census Bureau Reports
Almost 1 in 10 U.S. homes was without heat for at least one 24-hour
period during the winter of 1997, according to a report released today by
the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.
"The two leading causes for not having heat were utility interruptions,
such as power blackouts due to storm damage or accidents, and equipment
breakdowns," said Barbara Williams, author of the report, Housing
Profile: In and Around the Home.
Less than 1 percent of occupied housing units nationwide had no heating
equipment, according to the report. Nearly 9 in 10 homes had a central
heating system.
Other highlights from the report include:
- The top three fuels for heating homes were piped gas, electricity
and fuel oil. Together, they provided heating for 91 percent of
all households.
- About 55 percent of single-family, detached units had two or more
floors.
- In 1997, slightly more than 9 in 10 American households (91
percent) had at least one car, van or light truck at home for
personal use.
- About 7.8 million households had to rely on street parking for
their personal vehicles; most households, 91.7 million, had
access to off-street parking.
- About 6 in 10 homeowners had a mortgage or home equity loan on
their property in 1997.
This report presents findings from an analysis of data from the 1997
American Housing Survey. As in all surveys, the data are subject to
sampling variability and other sources of error.
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