The Timing of Household Events and Housing Events in the Netherlands: A Longitudinal Perspective

TLDR

Prior research on household and housing events has largely overlooked the role of timing. The study investigates how late marriage and childbirth in the Netherlands’ second half of the 20th century influenced the timing of moving into long‑stay housing. The authors analyze time lags between household events and housing moves. Survival analysis reveals that long‑stay housing moves occur earlier and more often before first childbirth, driven by economic prosperity and housing availability, but single home leavers do not show this pattern, indicating that household commitment level is the primary determinant. Keywords: Housing, Households, Timing, Survival Analysis.

Abstract

Abstract Research on the relationship between household events and housing events so far has largely ignored the role of timing. This study aims to uncover in what way the postponement of marriage and childbirth that took place in the second half of the 20th century in the Netherlands affected the timing of moving into 'long-stay housing' (single-family dwellings and owner occupied dwellings). This is done by analysing time lags between household events and housing events. Survival analysis shows that over cohorts, moving into long-stay housing happens consistently earlier, and increasingly frequently before first childbirth. This finding is most likely attributable to the increased economic prosperity and increased availability of long-stay housing. This allows young people to adjust their housing to the household situation they anticipate, rather than to wait until they actually experience the household event. However, this does not hold for single home leavers: they move into long-stay housing neither earlier, nor much more often over time. It is concluded that the level of commitment in the household situation is the fundamental explanation for housing choice, and that economic prosperity mainly facilitates advancement in the timing of adapting the housing situation to the (anticipated) household situation. Keywords: HousingHouseholdsTimingSurvival Analysis