New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey

The New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYCHVS), sponsored by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, is conducted approximately every 3 years to comply with New York State and New York City's rent regulation laws. The Census Bureau has conducted the survey for the city since 1965. The sample size for the survey is approximately 18,000 housing units representing the five boroughs of the city. The rental vacancy rate is the primary focus of the survey, because it is used to evaluate the current rent control and rent stabilization laws. Other important survey data include rent regulation status, number of stories, number of units in building, number of rooms in unit, type of heating fuel, monthly rent, estimated value and building condition. The survey also includes information concerning housing and neighborhood quality. Although the main purpose of the survey is to collect housing data, information on the demographic status of the population and households of the city is also collected. Information collected includes age, sex, race, ethnicity, household composition, labor force status, income, employment, and education level. In addition to rent regulation, analysis of the data will provide a basis for planning and policy decisions on housing preservation and development.