Average Dwelling Research Articles

Determinants of housing affordability in the USA

Purpose This study aims to identify the determinants of housing affordability in an effort to inform policy. Design/methodology/approach The authors use econometric analysis to determine variables that impact housing affordability in the USA. Findings The authors find that affordability depends on a number of demographic factors as well as physical characteristics of properties, including average age of homeowner, family size and average dwelling square footage. The authors also find that vacancy rates, increase in house price and median family income also have a significant impact on housing affordability. Additionally, the authors find that households with high-cost burdens are more vulnerable to mortgage rates and property taxes than those with moderate-cost burdens. As a result, changes in economic or policy variables tend to have a disproportionate impact on high-cost-burdened households, and they are more vulnerable to economic and policy shocks. Originality/value To date, the literature has not done a systematic investigation of housing affordability using detailed census data.

Energy and economic analysis of domestic heating costs based on distributed energy resources: A case study in Spain

Energy electrification is part of the European strategy for the decarbonization of the building sector and energy transition in cities. The present paper compares the heating costs of covering the heating demand by different systems: (i) domestic gas boiler and an air-to-air heat-pump, (ii) without and (iii) with local PV backup; in order to analyze the effects of the electric price volatility along with the weather condition dependency of the renewable systems. The study presents a heat pump model and a PV generation model to estimate the hourly performance of both systems. These models are then applied in an average dwelling in Bilbao, Spain, in November 2020, and November 2021. Results show that in November 2020 the combined use of a heat pump with PV generation to cover the heat demand was 66% cheaper than covering the same demand with a natural gas boiler. By contrast, the combined use of the PV and heat pump resulted in a 15% higher energy bill compared to the natural gas in 2021 due to the increase of the electricity prices (3 times higher), the lower temperatures (25%) and less solar radiation (70%).

Lead Paint Exposure in Migrant Labor Camps

During the summer of 1970, 117 migrant farm labor camps were studied for lead paint hazard. Of these, 115 had lead-based paint on their structures. The average dwelling had 50% of its surfaces painted with lead-based paints. The average dwelling had 40% of its paint in a peeling or chipping state. We conclude that all children living in such housing should be recognized as having been subjected to lead exposure. Because of this, lead poisoning should be more thoroughly looked for in rural settings.