Living Spaces - Public Opinion Survey of the BBR 2002

Apartment and residential status. Housing costs. Settlement structures and the socio-structural context of the dwelling and its evaluation. Economic background. Neighbourhood and integration. Mobility.

Topics: 1. Housing: city size; living in the city centre or outside; location; duration of residence at the place of residence; satisfaction with the city or municipality (scalometer); duration of residence in the current dwelling; residential status; information on the last dwelling: location of the old dwelling; size of the last place of residence; residential status of the last residence.

2. Housing costs: tenants were asked: housing entitlement certificate required; amount of monthly rent; rent including heating and hot water; amount of monthly costs for heating and hot water; amount of the monthly heating flat rate; amount of the hot water money; amount of the monthly hot water lump sum; amount of the average monthly heating costs; payment cycle for heating and hot water; and amount of the amount paid; amount of the annual amount for heating and hot water; assessment of rental costs; receipt and amount of housing benefit; owners were asked: type of ownership acquisition (old stock, new construction, inheritance); claiming state subsidies (owner-occupied housing allowance or §10e of the Income Tax Act); amount of the monthly charge for interest and repayment of principal; amount of monthly operating expenses for heating, hot water, refuse collection, etc.; amount of housing benefit to be paid for condominiums.

3. Current dwelling and living environment: living space; number of residential premises; assessment of the size of the dwelling; equipment of the dwelling; equipment corresponds to needs; construction period; type of house; evaluation of the structural condition of the house; satisfaction with the immediate residential environment and the environmental conditions in the living environment (scalometer); satisfaction with the apartment (scalometer).

4. Residential area and social structure: description of the residential environment and of the residential area; old buildings, newer houses, pure new development area, residential area or two-family houses or larger blocks of flats; subjective perceived population composition in the residential area.

5. Neighbourhood and integration: the relationship between Germans and foreigners in the residential environment; attitude towards the spatial separation of Germans and foreigners in a neighborhood; German nationality; contacts to foreigners and Germans (segregation).

6. Mobility: intention to move; main reason for moving; relocation preference (target area); preferred federal state; assessment of the current personal economic situation; employment status; assessment of one´s own job security.

Demography: sex; age; marital status; employment status; occupational status; employee status, worker status or
civil cervant status; school leaving certificate; household size; household composition: number of children under 6 years, from 6 to 13 years old, young people from 14 to 17 years old and persons aged 18 and over; net household income (classified); number of income earners in the household; number of fixed telephone lines in the household.

Additionally coded was: survey year; mode of collection (CATI, CAPI); state; BIK municipality type; city and municipality type; weighting factors.