Communities and Local Government
A selection of images representing communities.
Direct contact 020 7944 4400- contactus@communities.gov.uk
Technical details
The EHCS is a complex survey bringing together data from the four component surveys. It also uses specialised definitions and categories developed for Communities and Local Government's research and policy needs. Over time there have been changes to the methodology, and the definitions and categories, in order to better serve policy needs and improve the survey's efficiency and effectiveness.
Details of the survey methodologies, and associated technical issues and procedures are provided in the documentation and reports. It is important that users refer to the appropriate technical details for the particular survey year in which they are interested.
From 1971, up to and including 2001, the EHCS was run as a once every five years survey. From April 2002 to March 2008 the EHCS was run on a continuous basis. This enabled Communities and Local Government to monitor the Government's targets relating to the provision of decent housing on an annual basis.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) manages the EHCS on behalf of Communities and Local Government. They undertake the household interviews and have responsibilities for sampling, weighting and data validation. ONS also run the Private Landlord Survey and the Market Value Survey.
ONS work in partnership with Miller Mitchell Burley Lane (MMBL) who are responsible for undertaking the visual inspection of the properties. MMBL employ a large fieldforce of professional surveyors who work in close co-operation with the ONS interviewers to maximise response rates and deliver high quality data.
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is involved as a development partner in the EHCS. They develop the physical survey questionnaire and surveyor training materials, and deliver surveyor training sessions. They are also responsible for validating the data, and developing and running models to create analytical variables such as repair costs, and are involved in reporting the findings.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) provides market valuations for each of the EHCS properties based on the information from the Physical and Interview surveys. VOA also provide information on the local area and housing market.
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