Policy analysts, city planners, builders, developers, and public- and private-sector organizations study the housing inventory to gauge and analyze the housing market. In the United States in 2010, according to the Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS), of the 131.8 million housing units, 75.4 million were owner occupied, 37.4 million were renter occupied, and 18.9 million were vacant.

Of the 18.9 million vacant housing units, there were 3.7 million “other vacant” housing units, an increase of 1.3 million from 2000 (2.4 million) (see text box on page 2 for vacant unit definitions). In 2010, the “other vacant” category made up nearly one-fifth (19.3 percent) of the vacant housing inventory, following the “seasonal” (23.7 percent), and “for rent” (22.9 percent) categories. The seasonal and for rent categories are not statistically different from each other.

This report examines the majority of the characteristics of other vacant units collected in the CPS/HVS in 2000, 2005, and 2010 to better understand the nearly 1 in 5 vacant housing units classified as “other vacant.” The report also explores how the characteristics have changed in each region and the nation as a whole. A housing unit is classified as “other vacant” when it does not fit into any other year-round vacant category. Common reasons a housing unit is labeled “other vacant” is that no one lives in the unit and the owner:

• Is making repairs or renovations.

• Does not want to rent or sell.

• Is using the unit for storage.

• Is elderly and living in a nursing home or with family members.

Additional reasons are that the unit is being held for settlement of an estate or that the unit is being foreclosed. While foreclosed properties may be classified as “other vacant,” they may also appear in any of the vacant or occupied categories.