71% of families own houses they live in |07 March 2013

Families occupying dwellings rented from the government represent a little over 10% in 2010 compared to 17% in 2002 and there was an increase in households living in privately rented dwellings and those occupying dwellings for free.

A total of 25,931 houses were counted in the census, of which around 92% were occupied. The occupied dwellings comprised 24,770 households, indicating that around 1,000 households live in shared dwellings, says the report.

The number of persons living in each house now ranges from 2.9 on outer islands to 4.5 in the Roche Caïman district. A comparison between 2002 and 2010 shows a small decline of 0.2 in the overall average household size.  However, a look at this indicator at district level shows that it has increased in a few areas, namely Au Cap, La Digue, Port Glaud, Roche Caïman and other islands.
“The average household size has remained the same in the Baie Lazare and English River districts compared to 2002.

“Construction of dwellings referred to the main building material of the walls of the dwelling unit.  Responses were recorded as observed by the interviewer.
Tables in the report trace the changing trends over the last three decades.

“Construction dwellings made of palm or lattice is now almost non-existent except maybe in isolated circumstances, and dwellings with wooden and/or iron walls are rapidly declining.
“Of the 2,161 vacant houses, 77% were made of stone or block and 23% of wood and/or iron,” says the report.

It says interviewers also assessed the physical condition of dwelling based on soundness of the structure and roof and the likeliness of needing repairs in the near future.

“About 83% of houses were assessed as good, meaning the dwelling looked completely watertight, as well as solidly built.  Over 7% were assessed as poor, meaning that it was probably leaking, and looked as if it would need major repairs done in the next few years.  The remaining 9% were categorised as falling somewhere in between good and poor.”

Households were classified according to the use of the building occupied. Almost three quarters of households were still based in single housing units in 2010 although comparison data from past censuses show an increasing representation of households in shared buildings.

“This phenomenon is inevitable as space for dwelling construction becomes scarce and business and other development continue to compete for space. Residents living in non-institutional households constitute 94% of the population, and 99% of all households.

“The institutional population includes such accommodation as convents, hospitals, prisons, barracks, hotels and orphanages.”