1.3 Taking a survey of all the dwellings
The housing category is mentioned on page 1 of the housing form (FL), which corresponds to how the dwelling in question is used.
a) Principal residences: category 1
It is the largest majority: 83% of the dwellings surveyed in 1982. One person, or a group of people, lives there for the greatest part of the year.
- One fundamental principal:
all people residing for the greatest part of the year in a dwelling must be included in the census for that dwelling, which constitutes his main residence. This person must not be counted in another dwelling.
Example: M. Durand lives in Chateauneuf and owns a house in a village of the Var department (county), where he is going to spend several weekends as well as part of his vacation. He must fill out the census in Chateauneuf where his dwelling will be classified as his main residence, and where he himself and each of the people living with him will fill out a BI. His house in the Var department will be classified as a secondary residence, and no BI will be filled out for it.
Comment: The principal residence is the dwelling where people live regularly. The census is only interested in this fact. Some people vote, or pay their taxes, in another community: we don't account for those details.
- The classification of the questionnaires FL- BI in the case of a main residence: The FL serves as a cover for the resident's BI (individual form).
Example of a dwelling occupied by a couple with a child:
[Refer to picture on p. 9]
Comment: As a rule, these are the residents who fill out the FL and the BIs.
[p. 10]
b) Unoccupied dwellings: categories 2, 3, 4
Since there are no occupants, it is the census agent's job to fill out the FL himself (pages 1 and 4), which will contain no BI.
- Category 2: dwellings (or independent rooms) used occasionally
These are dwellings used during one part of the year for professional reasons.
It is becoming more and more common for two spouses to work in towns rather far away from one another. Sometimes, one of them finds himself or herself forced to use a second dwelling for part of the week. At the time of the census, we attribute to the spouses the same main residence. The second dwelling is classified in category 2: "dwelling (or independent room) occasionally used."
Many merchants and artisans make use of the back of their store as a dwelling, which they use from time to another, for example in order to eat their meals and live their for several days of the week. This dwelling does not qualify as their principal residence. Such a dwelling will be classified in category 2.
Let's define two other examples of dwellings from this category:
- a representative from a department (county) from a rural area uses an apartment in Paris in close proximity to the Palais- Bourbon, which he occupies during the parliamentary sessions, his main residence being situated in his district ;
- a multinational business has a branch in Lyon, and owns some apartments in this town which it uses to lodge its executives who have been transferred there.
- Category 3: secondary residences
Secondary residences are dwellings used for weekends, leisure time, or vacations. This category consists of country homes, villas and vacation homes, etc. You will classify as well rented furnished dwellings (or to be rented) for tourists seasons in seaside resorts, winter sports resorts, etc. which includes the case of time- share property.
- Category 4: Vacant dwellings
These are dwellings not occupied at the time of the census and applicable to one of the following cases:
- for sale
- for rent
- already allocated to a buyer or a renter, pending occupation
- awaiting payment of succession, judicial liquidation, etc.;
- saved by an employer for future use for the benefit of his employees;
- saved by the owner for future use, for example for the benefit of relatives or friends;
- kept vacant and without any precise reason by the owner
[p. 11]
c) Trailers and other mobile homes: category 3
Trailers, strictly speaking, are not dwellings. They should however be surveyed, as long as they take the place of a principal residence.
[refer to pictures on p.11, top- right]
Examples: - Gypsies park on a sidewalk:
- workers are housed in a trailer on a work site and have no principal residence elsewhere
Census modalities of trailers and mobile abodes are shown in annex 2.
d) Temporary building structures and makeshift dwellings
Examples: - a skiff in place in order to shelter the works of a work site:
- a shanty town boat
- a shelter turned into a dwelling.
They are considered as dwellings. However, we do not make them take the census except if these abodes take the place of a principal residence for their occupants. The dwellings will thus be classified always in category 1 and their occupants will fill out the BIs.
e) Independent rooms sometimes constitute dwellings
You will refer to annex 1.
f) A professional place is not a dwelling and must not be included in the census.
Example: inside an apartment building made up initially of 12 dwellings, one of them has been transformed into a medical office and has lost all use as a home. You will survey only 11 dwellings and thus you will only establish 11 FL.