Various studies have confirmed that tenants in public (council) housing are more likely to migrate than owner-occupiers, but that they are less likely to move over long distances. This paper extends this work by considering the distance moved by one-year migrants using a multi-level modelling approach. Controlling for a range of socio-economic variables, derived from the 1991 British Census Sample of Anonymised Records (SAR), at both the individial and area level, the distance moved by household heads in public, privately rented and owner-occupied housing within britain is assessed. Data on the proportion of households in a SAR area who live in council housing and the absolute reduction in this number between 1981 and 1991 were also examined. It is confirmed that migrants in public housing are less likely to migrate long distances than owner-occupiers and that the proportion of public housing in a SAR area, and the absolute reduction in public housing in a SAR area between 1981 and 1991, does not have a significant effect on the distance that in-migrants have moved. It appears that public housing has a significant effect on distance moved at the individual level but not at the area level. Modelling only those migrants who moved over 20 km suggests that there are no significant differences in the distance moved between those living in owner-occupied and public housing, but that area-level variables related to tenure are particularly important in explaining the distance moved.

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residential mobility economics population methodology demography Europe Northern Europe Population Dynamics migration determinants social housing Developed Countries UK housing socioeconomic status Great Britain Residence Characteristics spatial distribution social status geography Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Article organization and management Ownership migration Geographic Factors United Kingdom developed country Demographic Factors Emigration and Immigration Economic Factors social class Migration, Internal--determinants Distance--determinants demographic method Sample of Anonymised Records Health Services Accessibility modelling approach health care delivery