Fifteen years of
the Survey of
English Housing:
1993 – 94 to
2007– 08
September 2009
housing
Fifteen years of
the Survey of English
Housing:
1993 –94 to 2007– 08
September 2009
Department for Communities and Local Government: London
Department for Communities and Local Government
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London SW1E 5DU
Telephone: 020 7944 4400
Website: www.communities.gov.uk
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Online via the Communities and Local Government website: www.communities.gov.uk
September 2009
Product Code: 09ACST06085
ISBN: 978 1 4098 1906 6
Contents
Introduction
2
Important points for SEH15 users
3
Overview
5
How have households changed?
7
Tenure
7
Marital status
9
Economic activity
11
One-person households
13
Overcrowding
14
What sort of housing do people have?
17
Type of accommodation
17
Age of accommodation
19
Access to a car or van
20
Access to amenities
21
Satisfaction with accommodation
22
Satisfaction with area
22
New households and household moves
24
Tenure specific issues
27
Waiting lists
27
Mortgage type
27
Mortgage payments
28
Mortgage arrears
29
Housing Benefit
29
Private rented tenancy type
31
Buying aspirations
31
Appendix A: List of SEH15 variables
33
Appendix B: Changes to variables
38
Appendix C: Data access and how to contact us
41
1
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Introduction
The Survey of English Housing (SEH) ran for fifteen years from 1993-94 until 2007-08, when it was
merged with the English House Condition Survey (EHCS) to form the new English Housing Survey
(EHS). In 2009, Communities and Local Government commissioned the National Centre for Social
Research (NatCen) to produce SEH15, a dataset which combines key data at household level from
each of the fifteen annual SEH datasets.
This short report presents some initial analysis based on the SEH15 dataset. Its purpose is to bring
the dataset to the attention of the research community, highlight the type of analysis that can be
undertaken and signpost users to the relevant contacts and range of supporting materials that is
available. We hope that it will encourage researchers to use the dataset and that they find the dataset
a useful resource which facilitates more effective and efficient production of trend analysis on key
housing topics.
Readers should be aware however that this report was prepared whilst work on finalising the dataset
was still in progress. It is possible therefore that there may be some revisions to the dataset before
its release which will lead to discrepancies with the initial results published in this report.
The SEH15 dataset and documentation will be available from the UK Data Archive (UKDA) in
Autumn 2009.1 The annual SEH datasets are also available from UKDA. SEH15 contains over a
hundred key variables included as part of the Survey of English Housing across the fifteen-year
period. Although the majority of the variables are those which have appeared in each of the fifteen
years, there are some variables which have only appeared in certain years. Those variables arising
from multi-response questions have been provided as sets of yes/no variables. A list of the SEH15
variables can be found in Appendix A.
The SEH15 documentation that will accompany the SEH15 dataset will contain full details of the
variables in the dataset, including the years for which they are available and any changes which may
have occurred to the questions or coding. Information on grossing will also be included along with
instructions and examples of how to gross data from a combination of years.
For detailed information about the survey design, methodology, technical aspects and
questionnaires, users should refer to the individual documentation for each annual survey held at the
UK Data Archive (see Appendix C for contact details).
1
2
www.data-archive.ac.uk
Important points for SEH15 users
Important points for SEH15 users
The SEH reported data at the household level and, in addition, at tenancy level for privately renting
tenancies (in some cases a household could contain more than one tenancy group, defined as a
person or group of people with a separate tenancy agreement). The SEH15 dataset is at household
level only. In cases where there were multiple tenancies within one household, data is taken from
the tenancy where the tenancy reference person was also the household reference person. This
results in some very small discrepancies between estimates produced for private renters from the
SEH15 dataset (as presented in this report) and those previously published in the annual Housing in
England reports at the tenancy group level.
Readers should also note that the annual SEH reports include some Labour Force Survey and Family
Resource Survey data. Estimates presented here, based on SEH15 data, may therefore also differ
slightly from some annual report estimates based on these other sources.
For ease of presentation in the charts in this report we have referred to survey years by the starting
year. For example, 1993 refers to survey year 1993-94; 2007 refers to survey year 2007-08. Survey
years cover the period from April to the following March.
Throughout the fifteen years of the SEH, efforts were made to ensure consistency but this had to be
balanced with the need to make improvements and respond to changing needs. Users of the SEH15
should therefore be aware of the need to consider any changes that have been made to the variables
that they are using in trend analyses when interpreting their results. Apparent changes may be due
to question, coding or definitional changes rather than to actual change. Appendix B contains an
overview of the changes relating to variables used in the analysis presented in this report. Users of
the SEH15 dataset should always refer to the documentation provided with the dataset for the
variables they use.
One major change in definition occurred in 2001-02. Chart 1 illustrates the trend in the proportion of
households with a female Household Reference Person (HRP) by tenure. This appears to show a
step change increase in 2001-02 for all tenures. However, as the documentation explains, in 2001-02,
the SEH switched from using the concept of ‘Head of Household’ to ‘Household Reference Person’ –
defined as the person with main responsibility for the accommodation, or in cases of joint
responsibility the person with the highest income (or if incomes were equal – or unknown, the
oldest). The chart illustrates the impact of this change to the definition.
3
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 1: Proportion of householders who were female, by tenure, England
70
60
percentage
50
40
30
20
10
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
Source: CLG SEH15
4
social renters
private renters
Overview
Overview
At first glance, there is surprisingly little change in households’ circumstances during the 15-year
time span of the Survey of English Housing (SEH). The big changes in tenure seen in the second
half of the twentieth century had already taken place when the survey started in 1993: owner
occupation, at 67%, was not far from its peak; most of the reduction in size of the social rented
sector due to the Right to Buy policy had already taken place; and the private rented sector was
close to its historically smallest size, at 10% of households.
During the period of the survey, the rate of owner occupation increased slowly to a peak of 71% in
2003-04, before falling back to 68% in 2007-08, not very different from its starting point. The size of
the social rented sector fell from 23% in 1993-94 until it stabilised at 18-19% from 2003-04 onwards.
Private renting increased from 10% to 12% of households2; 2.7m households rented privately in
2007-08 compared with only 1.9m in 1993-94.
Although these overall shifts in tenure appear quite small, the pattern is more marked for different
age groups. During the 15-year period there has been a major shift in the tenure pattern of young
people. Owner occupation for households aged under 30 fell from 50% to 36% over the period, and
householders in this age group are now more likely to live in the private rented sector than to be
buying their own home.3 New households are now less likely to move straight into buying their own
home: 29% of newly formed households moved into owner occupation in 2007-08, compared to 35%
in 1995-96, whereas in 2007-08 50% of new households moved into private renting.4
On the other hand, older people (aged 65 or over) are now much more likely to be owner occupiers
than previously.5
As more younger people have moved into the private rented sector, the proportion of private renters
that are working (full or part-time) has increased, from 55% in 1993-94 to 69% in 2007-08.6 In the
other sectors there has been less change. The employment rates of social renters are consistently
much lower than others, at around 30% of all social renters, and just over 40% of working age
tenants, in full or part-time work. This shows very little change since 1993-94.
Levels of overcrowding, measured against the bedroom standard, have remained below 3%
throughout the period of the survey. But there is a big difference between overcrowding rates in the
different sectors, and the gap increased during the 15-year period, with overcrowding falling in the
owner occupied sector, to 1.4% in 2007-08, but increasing among renters. Overcrowding has
remained highest in the social rented sector, increasing from 5% to 6% during the period, but the
increase in the private rented sector was sharpest, increasing from just over 3% to 5% of private
rented households.7 Overcrowding is highest in London.8
2
Chart 2
3
Chart 3a
4
Chart 18
5
Chart 3b
6
Charts 5b and 5c
7
Chart 7a
8
Chart 7b
5
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
At the same time, levels of under-occupation9 have also increased, from 31% of all households in
1995-96, to 37% in 2007-08. Underoccupation is much more prevalent among owner occupiers than
for renters, and the increase in levels of underoccupation during the period is entirely due to a large
increase within the owner occupied sector, from 39% in 2003-04 to 47% in 2007-08.
Over the period there has been a modest increase in owners’ and private tenants’ levels of
satisfaction with both their accommodation and the local area.10 For social tenants, there is no clear
change in levels of satisfaction.
The first SEH was conducted in 1993-94, not long after the recession in the early 1990s. The impact
of this can be seen in the levels of mortgage arrears reported in the early years of the survey. In
1993-94, nearly 6% of homeowners with a mortgage reported some level of mortgage payment
arrears, declining to only 1% from 2001-02 onwards.11 The impact of the recent recession is not yet
evident in these figures, as fieldwork ended in early 2008. Changes in the incidence of rent arrears
have been less marked, though there has been a reduction, particularly in the private rented sector.
9
Two or more bedrooms above the bedroom standard. Chart 8
10 Charts 16 and 17
11 Chart 25
6
How have households changed?
How have households changed?
In this section we explore some key tenure and demographic trends.
Tenure
When the SEH began, in 1993-94, around two-thirds (68%) of households were owner occupiers
(Chart 2). The proportion of owner occupied households increased steadily to a peak of 71% in
2003-04, but then fell back slightly, to 69% in 2007-08. Over the same period there was a steady
decrease in the size of the social rented sector; in 1993-94 this accounted for 23% of households but
it had fallen to 19% by 2007-08. Alongside this, the private rented sector increased from 10% to 12%
of households.
Chart 2: Proportion of households by tenure, England
100
percentage
80
60
40
20
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
For younger households, however, there have been more marked changes in tenure. Among
households with a householder aged under 30, the proportion in owner occupation fell from around
a half in 1993-94 to 36% in 2007-08 (see Chart 3a). Among these younger households there was an
increasing reliance on the private rented sector, which accounted for 41% in 2007-08, up from 25%
in 1993-94.
7
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 3a: Tenure of householders aged <30, England
60
percentage
40
20
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
Older households (aged 65 or over) were much more likely to be home owners in 2007-08 than in
1993‑94. The proportion in owner occupation rose from 62% to 73%, whilst the proportion in social
renting fell from 32% to 23%. Private renting declined from 6% to 4% over the SEH15 period.
Chart 3b: Tenure of householders aged 65 or over, England
80
70
percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
SEH15 contains a Government Office Region indicator and so, where appropriate, analysis can also
be undertaken at the regional level. Chart 3c shows the trend in tenure for younger households
(aged <30) in the London region. The reliance on private renting is more marked in London, as
might be expected with the affordability issues in London and the particular attraction of the capital
for people in the early years of their careers. Levels of owner occupation have been markedly lower
than the England average in London throughout the SEH15 period.
8
How have households changed?
Chart 3c: Tenure of householders aged <30, London
60
50
percentage
40
30
20
10
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
Marital status
Charts 4a, b and c below compare marital status of the Household Reference Person (HRP) in
1993-94 with that in 2007-08, for each tenure type. Those who are, for example, widowed but
cohabiting with a new partner will be counted as cohabiting. Across all tenures there has been a fall
in the proportion in those who were married and a rise in the proportion of cohabitees.
Amongst owner occupiers, the fall in the proportion of married or cohabiting householders was only
slight (from 70.9% in 1993-94 to 68.9% in 2007-08); nevertheless the difference was statistically
significant. Similarly, the slight increase in the proportion of single (never married) householders,
from 9.4% to 10.7%, was also significantly different.
Much bigger shifts were seen in the social rented sector. The proportion of social renters who were
married or cohabiting saw a significant fall from 40.0% in 1993-94 to 32.9% in 2007-08. And the
proportion of social renters who were single (never married) rose significantly from 16.8% to 25.6%.
The private rented sector is the smallest of the tenures, so the survey sample sizes are smaller and
statistically significant differences less common than in the other tenures. Nevertheless the increase
in the proportion of private renters who were single (never married) from 31.6% in 1993/4 to 37.1%
in 2007-08 was statistically significant.
The charts also illustrate the differences between the tenures. For example, there is a much higher
proportion of married owners than renters. In 2007-08 around 60% of owners were married
compared to less than 30% of either social or private renters.
9
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 4a: Marital status of owner occupiers, England
70
60
percentage
50
40
30
20
10
0
married
cohabiting
single,
never married
1993
widowed
separated
divorced
separated
divorced
2007
Source: CLG SEH15
Chart 4b: Marital status of social renters, England
70
60
percentage
50
40
30
20
10
0
married
cohabiting
single,
never married
1993
Source: CLG SEH15
10
widowed
2007
How have households changed?
Chart 4c: Marital status of private renters, England
70
60
percentage
50
40
30
20
10
0
married
cohabiting
single,
never married
1993
widowed
separated
divorced
2007
Source: CLG SEH15
Economic activity
Charts 5a, b and c show the economic status of householders by tenure. Whilst the proportions
of owners and social renters in employment remained fairly stable (at around 65% and 30%
respectively) over the SEH15 period, the proportion of private renters in employment rose from
55% to 69%.
The social rented sector had the highest proportion of sick or disabled householders; this nearly
doubled from 8% in 1993-94 to 15% in 2007-08. Within the private rented sector the proportion
of retired householders fell from 17% to 9%.
These changes indicate an increasing role for the private rented sector in housing young
professionals and possible delays in such households entering owner occupation due to affordability
issues. The private rented sector also provides greater flexibility for young households who may be
more likely to move location to take advantage of career opportunities.
11
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 5a: Economic status of owner occupiers, England
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
employed
unemployed
retired
sick or
disabled
student or
training
other
Source: CLG SEH15
Chart 5b: Economic status of social renters, England
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
employed
Source: CLG SEH15
12
unemployed
retired
sick or
disabled
student or
training
other
How have households changed?
Chart 5c: Economic status of private renters, England
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
employed
unemployed
retired
sick or
disabled
student or
training
other
Source: CLG SEH15
One-person households
Overall, just over a quarter of households in England were single person households in 2007-08.
The proportion varied by the age of the householder: in households with HRP aged 60 or more,
42% were one person households (44% in 1993-94). Among households where the householder
was aged 30 to 59, the proportion of one-person households was much smaller, 18% in 2007-08,
however this was an increase from 15% in 1993-94.
Chart 6a: Proportion of one-person households in each age group, England
50
45
percentage
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
< 30
30 to 59
60 or more
all ages
Source: CLG SEH15
13
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
There are also differences by tenure. The highest proportion of one-person households has
consistently been found in the social rented sector and the lowest in the owner occupied sector.
Between 1994-95 and 1999-00 the proportion of one-person households in the private rented sector
was around 37%, but from 1999-00 onwards the rate fell to reach 30% in 2007-08. The owner
occupied and social rented sectors saw small increases over the whole SEH15 period.
It is interesting to see the divergence which has occurred between the social and private rented
sectors. In 1994-95, the proportions of one-person households were very close (39% and 38%
respectively) but, by 2007-08, 42% of social renters were one-person households compared to only
30% of private renters.
Chart 6b: Proportion of one-person households in each tenure, England
50
45
percentage
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
all tenures
Source: CLG SEH15
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is a particularly important housing issue. It is usually assessed against the bedroom
standard, which compares the number of bedrooms a household needs to avoid undesirable sharing
and the actual number of bedrooms available to the household. (Full details of the bedroom
standard can be found in the appendices to the annual Housing in England reports12).
Chart 7a illustrates overcrowding rates by tenure for England. A three-year moving average is used
due to the small numbers of overcrowded households in each annual sample. As in the annual
Housing in England reports, the labelling refers to the third year of each three-year period: for
example, 1995-96 (1995 on chart label) refers to the three-year period 1993-94 to 1995-96.
Overall, the general level of overcrowding remained relatively steady at around 2.5% to 2.7% of
households throughout the SEH15 period. However, overcrowding in the private rented sector
increased from 3.2% to 4.9%, a statistically significant increase. The change in the average rate
of overcrowding in the owner occupied sector, a decline from 1.8% to 1.4 percent, was also
statistically significant.
12 Copies of the Housing in England reports can be downloaded from
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingsurveys/surveyofenglishhousing/sehpublications/housinginengland/
14
How have households changed?
Chart 7a: Overcrowding rates by tenure, England (3 yr moving averages)
7
6
percentage
5
4
3
2
1
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
all tenures
Source: CLG SEH15
As can be seen in Chart 7b, overcrowding is much more prevalent in London. Across all tenures,
6.8% of households in London were living in overcrowded accommodation in 2007-08, compared
with 2.7% in England as a whole. The level of overcrowding in London was highest in the rented
sectors: rising from 10.6% in 1995-96 to 12.7% in 2007-08 for social renters and from 5.4% to 9.8% for
private renters.
Chart 7b: Overcrowding rates by tenure, London (3 year moving averages)
14
12
percentage
10
8
6
4
2
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
all tenures
Source: CLG SEH15
15
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Households which have two or more bedrooms more than they need (as assessed by the bedroom
standard) are said to be under-occupied. Chart 8 illustrates the trend in under-occupation rates by
tenure. This clearly shows that there has been a rise in under-occupation in the owner-occupied
sector, from 39% in 1995-96 to 47% in 2007-08. In the rented sectors there has been less change: for
social renters the rate of under-occupation has remained at around 12%; for private renters there has
been a slight fall from 19% to 17%.
Chart 8: Under-occupation rates by tenure, England (3 year moving average)
50
percentage of households
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
Source: CLG SEH15
16
social renters
private renters
all tenures
What sort of housing do people have?
What sort of housing do people have?
In this section we look at the type of accommodation that people have, the amenities they can access
and their satisfaction with their accommodation and the area in which they live.
Type of accommodation
Charts 9 and 10 show the type of accommodation for households in self-contained accommodation
in 1993-94 and 2007-08. Around a fifth of households lived in detached houses, a third in semidetached houses and just under a third in terraced or end-of-terrace accommodation. The profile
changed little over the fifteen-year period.
Chart 9: Type of accommodation, England, 1993-94
4%
20%
13%
33%
29%
detached house/bungalow
semi-detached
purpose built flat
converted flat
terrace/end of terrace
Source: Communities and Local Government, Survey of English Housing
17
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 10: Type of accommodation, England, 2007-08
4%
13%
21%
33%
29%
detached house/bungalow
semi-detached
purpose built flat
converted flat
terrace/end of terrace
Source: Communities and Local Government, Survey of English Housing
The profile in London was however quite different from that in England as a whole. In 2007-08 just
5% of London households lived in detached houses, 18% in semi-detached houses and 32% in
terraced houses (Chart 11). Flats were more common in London than in England as a whole with a
third (32%) of London households living in purpose-built flats and 13% living in converted flats.
These proportions had also shown little change since 1993-94.
Chart 11: Type of accommodation, London, 2007-08
13%
5%
18%
32%
32%
detached house/bungalow
semi-detached
purpose built flat
converted flat
Source: Communities and Local Government, Survey of English Housing
18
terrace/end of terrace
What sort of housing do people have?
Age of accommodation
Chart 12 shows the number of households living in houses by the age of the accommodation at the
start and end of the SEH15 period. Although, as is to be expected, the number living in
accommodation that was built after 1985 increased substantially over the fifteen year period, there
was little change in the numbers accommodated in older houses.
Chart 12: Year accommodation built, houses, England
4,500
thousands of householdds
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
before 1919
1919-1944/5
1945/6-1964
1965-1984
1985 or later
year built
1993
2007
Source: CLG SEH15
Chart 13 similarly illustrates the number of households living in flats by the age of the
accommodation for 1993-94 and 2007-08.
Chart 13: Year accommodation built, flats, England
thousands of householdds
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
before 1919
1919-1944/5
1945/6-1964
1965-1984
1985 or later
year built
1993
2007
Source: CLG SEH15
19
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Access to a car or van
For most years from 1995-96 onwards, the SEH measured the proportion of households with access
to a car or van. This proportion increased steadily from 71% of households in England in 1995-96 to
77% in 2007-08 (Chart 14a). The chart also illustrates differences between regions (only selected
regions are shown). For example, in the South West, access to a car or van was higher than the
national average, reaching 84% in 2007-08. In the North East only 53% of households had access to a
car or van in 1996-97 but this had climbed to 71% in 2007-08.
Chart 14a: Proportion of households with access to a car or van, by region
All households in selected regions
90
80
70
percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1996
2001
2007
year built
England
London
South West
North East
Source: CLG SEH15
In London, the overall proportion of households with access to a car or van remained fairly stable at
around 62%, reflecting the different public transport and road situation found in London. However,
access to a car or van varied considerably by tenure – see Chart 14b. The proportion of owner
occupiers with access remained stable at around 80%. In 1996-97 a higher proportion of private than
social renters had access to a car or van (49% compared to 36%) but by 2007-08 the proportion was
around 40% for both types of renters.
20
What sort of housing do people have?
Chart 14b: Proportion of households with access to a car or van, by tenure, London
All households in London
90
80
70
percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1996
2001
2007
year built
owners
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
Access to amenities
SEH15 contains data on householders’ views on ease of access to various local amenities. Chart 15
shows the proportion saying it was difficult to get to each amenity. In 1994-95, 28% said it was
difficult for them to get to a local hospital; this fell to 23% in 1997-98 but increased to 31% when the
question was next asked in 2001-02. Since then, it has steadily been declining and stood at 25% in
2007-08. The proportion reporting difficulties getting to a Post Office increased from 6% in 1994-95
to 10% in 2007-08.
Chart 15: Difficulty accessing key amenities, England
35
30
percentage
25
20
15
10
5
0
corner shop
1994
supermarket
1997
post office
2001
doctor
2004
hospital
2007
Source: CLG SEH15
21
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Satisfaction with accommodation
Chart 16 shows overall satisfaction with accommodation by tenure – that is households reporting
that they were either very or fairly satisfied with their current accommodation. Householder
satisfaction with their accommodation has been consistently high throughout the 15 years of the
SEH. In 1993-94, as many as 88.5% of householders expressed satisfaction with their
accommodation. By 2007-08, this had risen to 91.8% – a statistically significant increase.
Owners consistently had the highest levels of satisfaction: in 2007-08, 95.8% of owners were satisfied
with their accommodation. Satisfaction was lower among renters, 82.0% for social renters and 84.4%
for private renters in 2007-08.
Chart 16: Satisfaction with accommodation, by tenure, England
100
percentage
90
80
70
60
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
all households
Source: CLG SEH15
Satisfaction with area
Chart 17 shows satisfaction with the local area by household tenure. In each of the selected years
satisfaction was highest among owners and lowest among social renters. The increases in satisfaction
between 1994-95 and 2007-08 were statistically significant for owner occupiers (84.6% to 89.0%) and
for private renters (81.3% to 87.0%).
22
What sort of housing do people have?
Chart 17: Satisfaction with area, by tenure, England, selected years
100
percentage
90
80
70
60
1994
1997
owners
2002
social renters
2007
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
23
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
New households and household
moves
In this section we show how the SEH15 can provide data on the tenures into which newly formed
households move and the number of moves into the different tenures each year. Three year moving
averages are used for this due to sample size issues.
Chart 18 illustrates an overall decline of 25% (from 1995-96 to 2007-08) in the total number of new
households that were being formed each year: from 510,000 in 1995-96 to 383,000 in 2007-08. The
number of newly-formed households moving into owner occupation declined by an even larger
percentage (38%), from 181,000 to 113,000. The number moving into the private rented sector
declined over the period 1995-96 to 2003-04 (207,000 to 159,000) but then recovered strongly to
191,000 in 2007-08.
Chart 18: Number of newly-formed households moving into each tenure, (3-year moving average)
number of moves per annum (000s)
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
owner occupiers
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
Expressed as percentages, the share of newly-formed households that had moved into the three
main tenures in 1995-96 was: 35% into owner occupation, 24% into social renting and 41% into
private renting. By 2007-08 the share had changed to: owner occupation 29%, social renting 21%
and private renting 50%.
Charts 19, 20 and 21 illustrate the numbers of moves in the three main tenures, showing both
numbers of moves within and into the sectors. These are three year averages relating to moves
in the 12 months prior to interview.
24
New households and household moves
Chart 19: Number of moves within and into the owner occupied sector (3-year moving average)
number of moves per annum (000s)
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
within the owner-occupied sector
into the owner-occupied sector
Source: CLG SEH15
Activity in the owner occupied sector reached a peak between 1999-00 and 2001-02, followed by a
decline to 2005-06. The proportion of moves which were moves within (rather than into) the sector
was higher in 2007-08 than in 1995-96, 61% compared to 52%.
The overall number of moves in the social rented sector, expressed as total households entering
social housing, peaked between 1996-97 and 1998-99 (at around 560,000 households) and has since
been in decline to below 400,000 households per year in 2007-08. (Chart 20)
Chart 20: Number of moves within and into the social rented sector (3-year moving average)
number of moves per annum (000s)
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
within social sector
into social sector
Source: CLG SEH15
25
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
There was increasing activity in the private rented sector from 2004-05, with nearly 170,000 more
moves in 2007-08 than 2003-04. This mirrors the increase in the overall size of the sector in the last
few years.
Chart 21: Number of moves within and into the private rented sector (3-year moving average)
number of moves per annum (000s)
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
within private rented sector
Source: CLG SEH15
26
into private rented sector
Tenure specific issues
Tenure specific issues
In this final section of the report we illustrate how the SEH15 dataset can be used to explore issues
linked to specific tenures for example: social housing waiting lists; Housing Benefit; mortgages;
and rents.
Waiting lists
In some years (2004-05 was the last year) the SEH included a question which established whether
anyone in the household was on a council house or housing association waiting list or transfer list13.
As is shown in Chart 22, in 1994-95 around 15% of households in the social or private rented sectors
had someone on a waiting list. By 2001-02, this had declined to 11% of social renters and 9% of
private renters and in 2004-05 stood at 12% and 11% respectively. Only around one per cent of
owner occupiers had anyone on a waiting list.
Chart 22: Households with a member on waiting or transfer list by tenure, England
18
16
percentage
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1994
1995
owner occupiers
Source: CLG SEH15
1998
2001
social renters
2002
2003
2004
private renters
Note structural break in question from 2001-02 onwards
Mortgage type
There were marked changes in the types of mortgages held across the fifteen years duration of the
Survey of English Housing. In 1997-98 more than 60% of mortgagors held an endowment or other
interest only mortgage (Chart 23). The decline in popularity of this type of mortgage was such that
by 2007-08 it only accounted for 23% of mortgages. The proportion with repayment mortgages
increased from 35% in 1997-98 to 69% in 2007-08. It is worth noting that this chart shows the
proportions of all mortgages held, not just new mortgages taken out each year, further illustrating the
scale of the change in preferences.
13 In 1994-95, 1995-96 & 1998-99, this question referred to just the Household Reference Person or their partner. From 2001-02
onwards, it asked about anyone in the household.
27
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 23: Mortgage type, England
80
70
percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
endowment or interest only
2003
2004
2005
repayment
2006
2007
other
Source: CLG SEH15
Mortgage payments
Chart 24 shows the average (mean) weekly mortgage payments as a proportion of the average joint
income (householder and partner), for households with a mortgage from 1997-98 onwards.14 Across
the period, the proportion of income spent on mortgage payments increased from 17% in 1997-98 to
22% in 2007-08.
Chart 24: Mortgage payment as proportion of income, England
25
percentage
20
15
10
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
mean percent of joint income
Source: CLG SEH15
14 prior to 1997 mortgage interest tax relief complicated the data so direct comparisons are not available
28
2006
2007
Tenure specific issues
Mortgage arrears
In 1993-94 around 6% of mortgagors were behind with their repayments, with one per cent being
over six months behind (Chart 25). By 2001-02, the proportion in arrears had fallen to just one per
cent and this remained virtually unchanged through to 2007-08.
Chart 25: Proportion of mortgagors with mortgage arrears, England
6
percentage
5
4
3
2
1
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
less than 3 months behind
3 to 6 months
over 6 months
Source: CLG SEH15
Housing Benefit
Over 60% of social renters were in receipt of Housing Benefit throughout the fifteen year period.
The highest level, 67%, was reached in 1995-96 and at the end of the fifteen years, in 2007-08, 64%
of social renters were receiving Housing Benefit. By contrast, the proportion of private renting
households in receipt of Housing Benefit declined from 31% in 1997-98 to 21% in 2007-08
(Chart 26).
29
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 26: Housing Benefit receipt by tenure, England
100
90
80
percentage
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
social renters
private renters
Source: CLG SEH15
Rent Arrears
Chart 27 shows the proportion of social renters and private renters who were in arrears with their
rent. The proportion of social renters in arrears was consistently higher than the proportion of
private renters in arrears throughout the SEH15 period. In 1993-94, 5% of private renters and 10%
of social renters were in arrears. In 2007-08, the proportion of social renters in arrears was triple that
of private renters, 9% compared to 3%. Although the question has remained unchanged throughout
the SEH15 period, it was not asked in 2005-06 or 2006-07.
Chart 27: Rent Arrears, by tenure, England
16
percentage in arrears
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
social renters
Source: CLG SEH15
30
private renters
Tenure specific issues
Private rented tenancy type
Chart 28 shows the types of tenancy agreements held by private renters. Under the 1988 Housing
Act all tenancies starting after 14th January 1989 are Assured (including Assured Shorthold) unless
they fall into an excluded category. Prior to March 1997, tenancies were Assured unless tenants were
given notice in writing that they were Assured Shorthold; from March 1997 tenancies are Assured
Shorthold unless the tenancy agreement specifically states that they are not.
In 1993-94 around two-fifths of private renters had Assured Shorthold tenancies but this had
increased to 69% by 2007-08. By contrast, the proportion of Assured tenancies had fallen from
17% to 13%, Regulated tenancies (not available after 1988) fell from 20% to just 5% as existing
tenancies ended.
It is worth noting here that these SEH15 estimates are based on privately renting households;
in households with more than one tenancy group, the tenancy of the main tenancy is taken.
Thus these SEH15 figures differ slightly from those published based on all privately renting
tenancies. In particular, the figures for resident landlord are lower, principally due to sub-letting
within households not being counted.
Readers should also note that reliable data for 2002-03 for the numbers of private renters with
Assured and Assured Shorthold tenancies is not available.
Chart 28: Type of private tenancy, England
80
70
percentage
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
assured shorthold
assured
resident landlord
other
regulated
Source: CLG SEH15
Buying aspirations
In nine of the survey years, private renters were asked whether they thought they would eventually
buy a property. Chart 29 compares the findings for 1994-95 and 2005-06 (the last year the question
was asked). It shows that, in 1994-95, 57% of private renters thought that they would eventually buy
and, in 2005-06, the proportion had increased slightly to 61%.
31
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Chart 29: Buying aspirations, England, 1994-95 and 2005-06
Private renters
100
percentage
80
60
40
20
0
1994
expects to buy eventually
Source: CLG SEH15
32
2005
does not expect to buy
already owns
Appendix A: List of SEH15 variables
Appendix A:
List of SEH15 variables
This is a provisional list of variables included in SEH15. The data set will be available from the UK
Data Archive from autumn 2009. There may be a small number of additions or revisions to the list
presented here.
Name
accomhh1
address
adnum
agehrp
ageprt
AmtHBWk
area
arnum
arr
arrears
arrpr
arrprp
ArrReas1
ArrReas2
ArrReas3
ArrReas4
ArrReas5
ArrReas6
ArrReas7
ArrReas8
backLABo
BackLACt
BackLAOt
backLASp
bedstnd
BondTen1
BondTen2
BondTen3
buy
BuyS100P
buySFaml
BuySinhe
buySLAmo
BuySLoan
BuySOth
buySPrvL
Label
Type of hh accomm & if non self-contained
(Address)
Address number
Age of Head of Household or Household Reference Person
Age of partner
Amount of housing benefit per week
(Area)
Area number
If currently in arrears on rent
Whether in arrears currently or in past 12 months
If currently in arrears on rent
If have been in arrears on rent in last 12 months
Reasons for arrears – Increase in rent
Reasons for arrears – Unemployment
Reasons for arrears – Working fewer hours or less overtime
Reasons for arrears – Illness
Reasons for arrears – Other debts or responsibilities
Reasons for arrears – Problems with Housing Benefit
Reasons for arrears – Domestic problems
Reasons for arrears – None of these
Why return to LA housing: marriage break up: both moved
Why return to LA housing: could not afford payments
Why return to LA housing: other reason
Why return to LA housing: marriage break up: partner stayed on
Difference from bedroom standard
Whether paid a returnable deposit to cover damage
Whether paid a non-returnable deposit or fee
No deposit or fee was required
How became outright owner
Other sources of finance for buying: No other source – 100% mortgage
Other sources of finance for buying: Gift or loan from family or friend
Other sources of finance for buying: Inherited money
Other sources of finance for buying: Money paid by local authority or housing
association to encourage move
Other sources of finance for buying: Loan to cover deposit/bridging loan from
elsewhere e.g. bank
Other sources of finance for buying: Other
Other sources of finance for buying: Money paid by private landlord to encourage
move
33
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Name
buySSale
buySSave
BuySWind
crent1
crentnet
ctax
dwellnew
econhoh
econprt
ethhrp
floor
ftbuyer
govreg
has213
has229
has238
has44
has441
has443
has445
hasc2a
hasc2b
hasc2c
hasc2d
hasc2e
hasc2f
hasc2g
hasc2h
hasc2i
hasc2j
hasc5a
hasc5b
hasc5c
hasc5d
hasc5e
hbadj
hben
hhcomp
hhcomp1
hhnum
hhold
hhserno1
hlong1
hlong2
hsatis
ifcar
ifcarnew
ifgard
34
Label
Other sources of finance for buying: Proceeds from sale of previous home
Other sources of finance for buying: Savings
Other sources of finance for buying: Windfall
Private Renters’ rent net of services (excluding business premises) £ per week
Private Renters’ rent net of services (excluding business premises) after Housing
Benefit £ per week
Council tax band for accommodation
First occupants of accommodation
Economic activity status of HRP or HOH
Economic activity status of partner
Ethnic group of Household Reference Person
Floor level of main living accommodation
If first-time buyer
Government Office Region
Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance
Ease of affording the rent
Satisfaction with landlord
Satisfaction with area
Household member with illness or disability
Whether accommodation suitable (for those that require specially adapted
accommodation)
Whether live in sheltered accommodation
Problem in area: Vandalism
Problem in area: Graffiti
Problem in area: Crime
Problem in area: Dogs
Problem in area: Litter
Problem in area: Neighbours
Problem in area: Racial harassment
Problem in area: Noise
Problem in area: Other harassment
Prob in area:other harassment
How easy to get to corner shop
How easy to get to medium to large supermarket
How easy to get to a Post Office
How easy to get to a doctor
How easy to get to local hospital
Housing Benefit adjusted for rent holiday (£ per week)
If receive Housing Benefit
Household composition (full version)
Household composition (summary)
Household number
(Household)
Serial number
Years HRP or HOH has been at address
Length of time at previous accommodation
Satisfaction with present accommodation
Is there a car or van normally available
Number of cars/vans available for use
If has garden
Appendix A:List of SEH15 variables
Name
IncHSpAl
IncHSpCh
IncHSpEr
IncHSpIS
IncHSpMb
IncHSpNo
IncHSpOt
IncHSpPn
IncHSpSB
IncHSpSv
lease
lrentah
lrentbh
mainr1
miles
morgtyp
mortn
mrgarr
mshrp
nbeds
newbed
nomoves1
npers
nrooms
nssec
nssec2
nssec8
nssecb
omb11
omb9
PArReas1
PArReas2
PArReas3
PArReas4
PArReas5
PArReas6
PArReas7
PArReas8
perhb
perhbeno
pfree
pha213
pha229
pha238
pha238n
phben
plong2
prarr
prbuy
prevten
Label
Sources of income: Other kind of allowance
Sources of income: Child Benefit
Sources of income: Earnings from employment or self-employment
Sources of income: Income Support
Sources of income: Mobility Allowance
Sources of income: No source
Sources of income: Other sources
Sources of income: Pension
Sources of income: Other state benefit
Sources of income: Interest from savings
Whether owned leasehold or freehold
LA Rent after Housing Benefit excl water (£ per week)
LA Rent before Housing Benefit excl water (£ per week)
Main reason for moving from last accommodation
Distance between past and present accom
Type of mortgage or loan
Mortgage payment (£ a week)
Current situation on mortgage repayments
Marital Status of HRP
Number of bedrooms
Number of bedrooms according to standard
Moved more than once in past year
Number of persons in household
Number of rooms
NS-SEC – long version
NS-SEC Socio-economic classification
nssec8
nssecb
Reason why given up home
If anyone in household given up home because of difficulties paying mortgage
Reasons for arrears – Increase in rent
Reasons for arrears – Unemployment
Reasons for arrears – Working fewer hours or less overtime
Reasons for arrears – Illness
Reasons for arrears – Other debts or responsibilities
Reasons for arrears – Problems with Housing Benefit
Reasons for arrears – Domestic problems
Reasons for arrears – None of these
Period covered by Housing Benefit
Period covered by housing benefit in weeks (other)
If rent-free, whether rent is paid by someone else
Satisfaction with the way repairs and maintenance are carried out
Ease of affording the rent
Satisfaction with landlord
Satisfaction with services provided by landlord
Whether receive housing benefit
How long before will buy
If have been in arrears on rent in last 12 months
If may buy (again) eventually
Previous tenure
35
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Name
pthis
rentpr
resll
resll2
rfree
satten
sexhrp
sexprt
sharer
srbuy
srlong
srthis
stat
SurvYear
tenagree
tenlet
tenure1
tenure4
termsl
uniqueid
weekhrp
weekhrp1
weekjnt
weekjnt1
weight
whym2Buy
whymAssS
whyMBetH
whymchpH
whymColU
whymCosM
whymCosR
whymCost
whymDivr
whymJobR
whymllrd
whymLLTi
whymMarr
whymNeig
whyMNerJ
whyMNewJ
whymNtAv
whymOthR
whymOwnH
whymPerR
whymSchl
whymtied
wlist
wrent1
YAIMrgPy
36
Label
If will buy present accommodation
If renting before buying
If landlord lives in same building
If landlord lives in same flat
Whether charged rent or rent-free
Agreement that current housing tenure is a good type of tenure
Sex of head of household or Household Reference Person
Sex of partner
Is accommodation self-contained?
If will eventually buy
How long before buys
If will buy present accommodation
Whether HRP employee or self-employed in current or last job
Survey year
Letting type
Letting type – DOE specified
Tenure(1) – ungrouped
Tenure group 4
Relationship with landlord
Unique identifier for each case in 15-year data set
Weekly income (HRP or HOH): (£s per week)
Weekly income (HRP or HOH): (£s per week)
Weekly income (HRP or HOH plus spouse): (£s per week)
Weekly income (HRP or HOH plus spouse): (£s per week)
Weighting variable
Why move from last accom: wanted to buy
Why move from last accom: Assured shorthold came to an end
Why move from last accom: Better house/flat
Why move from last accom: cheaper house/flat
Why move from last accom: go/finish college/university
Why move from last accom: not afford mortgage
Why move from last accom: not afford rent
Why move from last accom: could not afford mortgage/rent
Why move from last accom: divorce/separation
Why move from last accom: Job related reasons
Why move from last accom: landlord required tenant to move
Why move from last accom: Landlord made move/tied house
Why move from last accom: marriage/cohabitation
Why move from last accom: change neighbourhood
Why move from last accom: be nearer job
Why move from last accom: be near new job
Why move from last accom: accommodation no longer available
Why move from last accom: other reason
Why move from last accom: wanted own home
Why move from last accom: other personal reasons
Why move from last accom: Children get into better school
Why move from last accom: left tied accommodation
Whether anyone in household on waiting list or transfer list
Private Renters' gross weekly rent (£s per week)
Reason hhold behind mortgage: There was an increase in the mortgage payments
Appendix A:List of SEH15 variables
Name
YAIOthPy
YALesPay
YANOverT
YAOther
YAOtLeft
YAPregnt
YASempIn
YASickIn
YASpsGon
YAUnemp
yearst
yrbult
yrbuy
yrmorgst
Label
Reason hhold behind mortgage: There was an increase in other payments
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone worked teh same hours but for less pay
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone lost overtime/worked reduced hours
Reason hhold behind mortgage: other
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone else who had been contributing left home
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone who had been contributing became
pregnant/new baby
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Self-employed and income has gone down
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone who been earning lost pay because they
were sick/injured
Reason hhold behind mortgage: A spouse/partner left home or died
Reason hhold behind mortgage: Someone made redundant/is unemployed
Year tenancy started
Year property built
Year in which accommodation bought
Year in which current mortgage taken out
37
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
Appendix B:
Changes to variables
Detailed variable information will be included in the SEH15 dataset documentation and users of the
dataset should refer to this. This appendix provides an indication of changes made to the variables
used in this report to help readers interpret the report charts.
Change from Head of Household to Household Reference Person
From 1993-94 until 2000-01, the SEH used the concept of ‘Head of Household’ (HOH). In 2001-02,
this was replaced by the concept of ‘Household Reference Person’ (HRP) defined as the person with
main responsibility for the accommodation, or in cases of joint responsibility the person with the
highest income (or if this was unknown, the oldest). The switch from HOH to HRP resulted in a
lower proportion of male ‘Heads’. The following variables will therefore be affected by this change:
Agehrp – age of HOH or HRP
Econhoh – economic activity status of HOH or HRP
Mshrp – marital status of HOH or HRP
Sexhrp and sexprt – sex of HOH or HRP and sex of partner
Weekhrp and weekhrp1 – weekly income of HOH or HRP
Accomhh1: Type of HH Accomm and if non-self contained (Charts 9-11)
Years on survey: 1993/94 to 2007/08 inclusive
Values:
1. Detached house/bungalow’
2. Semi-detached’
3. Terrace/End of terrace’
4. Purpose built flat’
5. Converted flat’
6. Caravan/boat’
7. Other’
8.
Non-self contained’.
-8.
Refused
-9. Don’t know
Notes
It is likely that in 1999/00 some households were incorrectly classified as non-self-contained. This
was corrected part-way through the 2000/01 survey. Figures for non-self-contained accommodation
is consequently higher for these two years. Published figures for 1999/00 & 2000/01 were adjusted
by DTLR.
38
Appendix B: Changes to variables
HBen: If receive Housing Benefit (Chart 26)
Notes
For the survey years 1993/94 to 1996/7, receipt of Housing Benefit was established at the question
LAHB, and asked with specific reference to the most recent rent as follows:
Was any Housing Benefit (Rent Rebate/Rent Allowance) allowed in connection with the last rent that
was due? From 1997/98 onwards, this was replaced by HBen which asked about receipt of Housing
Benefit more generally:Some people qualify for Housing Benefit, that is, a rent rebate or allowance.
Do you receive Housing Benefit? This variable combines responses across the two slightly different
versions of this question.
Morgtyp: Type of mortgage or loan (Chart 23)
Years on survey: 1997/98 to 2007/08 inclusive
Values:
1.
Endowment mortgage
2.
Repayment mortgage
3. Pension mortgage
4.
PEP, ISA or Unit Trust mortgage
6.
An interest only mortgage with more than one linked investment
7.
An interest only mortgage with NO linked investment
8.
Or another type.
-1.
Item not applicable
-8.
Refusal
-9. Don’t know
Notes
This question was only asked among those buying with a mortgage. Form 1997/98 until 2003/04,
only the first 5 categories were included as answer options. In 2004/05, categories 6 to 8 were
added.
MortN: Mortgage payment (£ a week) (Chart 24)
Years on survey:
1997/98, to 2007/08 inclusive
Notes
Mortgage payments have been collected and calculated and reported in different ways over the
course of the SHE. For the purposes of the SEH15, a new derived variable has been derived,
calculated in a consistent way for the survey years 1997/98 onwards. Prior to that mortgage interest
tax relief was an issue and this has not been incorporated into this derived variable.
PrevTenU: Previous Tenure (Charts 18-21)
Years on survey:
1993/94 to 2007/08 inclusive
Notes
This is a derived variable. Questions that establish previous tenure were only asked for households
that had recently moved. A separate variable was included in the original annual data sets for
1993/94 and 2005/06 onwards, however this new variable has been re-derived for all survey years.
It includes a more detailed classification than the one included on the 1993/94 data set. There were
also some differences to the routing in 1993/94 and this explains the larger number of unknowns in
1993/94. In 1995/96 questions were added which established for those initially saying the HOH had
not lived in their own accommodation previously, whether this was temporary. If it was, they were
39
Fifteen years of the Survey of English Housing: 1993-94 to 2007-08
asked about the accommodation prior to the temporary accommodation. This enabled a more
accurate classification of previous tenure and explains the reduced level of ‘new households’
identified from 1995/96 onwards.
For survey years 2003/04 and 2004/05, the questions on previous tenure were asked of all
households that had been resident for less than five years (as opposed to less than three years for all
other years). However, previous tenure is only derived for those resident less than three years to
ensure consistency with other years.
Wlist: If anyone in household on waiting list or transfer list (Chart 22)
Years on survey: 1994/95, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05
Notes
In 1994/95, 1995/96 & 1998/99, this question referred to just the Household Reference Person or
their partner. From 2001/02 onwards, it asked about anyone in the household.
40
Appendix C: Data access and how to contact us
Appendix C:
Data access and how to contact us
Data access
SEH15 and annual SEH datasets and associated documentation are deposited with the UK Data
Archive, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/
Tel: 01206 872002
Email: [email protected]
Detailed information about the survey, including a wide range of tabulations and copies of
publications, can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housing research/housing surveys/surveyofenglishhousing/
How to contact us
If you can’t find what you need at these links or if you would like more information about the
survey please email:
[email protected]
Our telephone system is due to change in autumn 2009. The old and new contact numbers are
provided in the table below.
Old number
New number
Anne Beesley
020 79443506
0303 4441110
David Wall
020 79443301
0303 4441109
41
This report introduces the SEH15 dataset which
combines key household level data from each
of the 15 annual SEH datasets from 1993-94 to
2007-08. It includes initial analysis based on the
SEH15 and contact details for obtaining the
dataset and documentation which will be
publicly available from autumn 2009.
ISBN: 978 1 4098 1906 6
Price: £12.00
9
781409 819066