DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37818
title: Survey of Housing Experiences in Russia, 1992-2013
title: Archival Version

description: The Survey of Housing Experiences in Russia (SHER) is a study of housing and demographic transitions for urban Russians who were 32-55 years old in 2013. This cohort experienced critical transitions into young and middle adulthood, when housing matters most, just before or after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The survey obtains housing histories of 1000 focal respondents from 1992 through 2013, including a complete housing migration history, and extensive information on up to three dwellings (first, current, and penultimate). The survey also measures education, household structure, migration, employment, partnership, and childbearing histories, as well as family background characteristics. A supplemental survey of 318 spouses and cohabitating partners of focal respondents obtains complementary housing and employment histories for partners. The goal is to understand whether and how housing status (tenure, quality, and tenure) influenced family formation and dissolution and socioeconomic outcomes during a key period of post-Soviet transition.
description: The survey was conducted face to face with the use of cards, and responses were recorded using a printed questionnaire (PAPI method). Two types of questionnaires were used: the core questionnaire for the respondent, and a supplemental questionnaire for spouses. 113 experienced interviewers conducted the survey (86% of them had participated in more than 10 surveys, and 95% more than 5). Before field work commenced, supervisors and interviewers participated in two mandatory trainings: on the protection of the rights of human subjects, and on the completion of the core and supplemental questionnaires. Addresses were randomly sampled by field organizers (on the basis of either the list of addresses or the random walk procedures). Interviewers were then given route sheets with the list of addresses. The survey was conducted on weekdays in the evenings and on weekends throughout the day, so as to enhance the probability of encountering both the employed and non-employed population.
description: Response Rates: The effective response rate for the core respondent interviews is 34%. There were a total of 1000 completed interviews at sampled addresses, and 1925 non-responses at sampled addresses. An additional 1122 addresses were ineligible due to either being a nonresidential address (262) or not having any eligible residents on the basis of screening (860). Ineligible addresses are excluded from calculation of the effective response rate. The response rate for partner interviews is 52%: 318 partners were interviewed, out of a total of 616 respondents with an eligible residential partner.
description: The random sample of 1000 focal respondents was collected using a multi-stage, stratified, clustered design. Primary sampling units (PSUs) were urban areas with population of at least 100,000 (stratified by federal region and population size). Secondary sampling units (SSU) were electoral polling districts. Tertiary sampling units were addresses. Addresses were sampled either from enumerated lists of all addresses in an SSU (73%) or via a random walk approach (27%) -- depending on availability of enumerated address lists for the SSU. Finally, the focal respondent was selected from among eligible members of the household within the residence, based on the next birthday method. For further sampling information, please see the PI codebook.
description: Datasets: DS1: Russian Housing Experiences Data
description: The primary universe is the non-institutionalized population of Russian cities (pop. size 100,000+), who were between ages 33 and 56 at the time of interview. The universe excludes military conscripts and residents of prisons, monasteries, and other closed locales. Residents of Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Far North regions (Nenetskii, Iamalo-Nenetskii, Taimyrskii, Evenkliskii, Chukotka, and Sakhalinskii autonomous okrugs/oblasts) are also excluded due to impracticality of fieldwork in those regions. The secondary universe includes spouses and cohabitating partners of the primary universe (without age restriction).. Smallest Geographic Unit: Region
description: face-to-face interview; paper and pencil interview (PAPI)