Because of the construction boom of the early 1970's, both private industry and Government have had an urgent need for informat ion on the  nature of the demand for rental housing. For over forty years, the Survey of Market Absorption (SOMA) has continued to measure  how soon  privately financed, nonsubsidized, unfurnished units in buildings with five or more units are rented or sold (absorbed) after c ompletion. The 2011 Characteristics Report provides details about units constructed in 2011, yet not necessarily absorbed, such as number of bedroo ms, asking rent,  and asking price. This publication is of value to builders, bankers, market analysts, land planners, and Government officials t rying to measure the  needs for Federal, State and local assistance in providing better housing for everyone. The statistics are based on a survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As with all surveys, estimates may vary from actual values because of sampling variation or other factors. A ll statements in  this report have undergone statistical testing and are significant at the 90-percent confidence level.