Housing careers of Turks and Moroccans in spatial perspective

In the Netherlands, the housing conditions of most ethnic minorities are still worse than the housing conditions of the native Dutch. The Turks and Moroccans, in numerical terms the first and the third immigrant groups (Surinamese are the second group) are a case in point. The quality of their dwellings considerably lacks behind the national average, even when household characteristics (size and income) and city size are taken into account. Next to that, Turks and Moroccans take a different position with regard to their residential mobility rate. Controlling for relevant variables, they move less often than native Dutch and other ethnic groups. The lower mobility and the lower housing attainment raise questions about the housing careers of Turks and Moroccans. In what respects do they differ from the housing careers of native Dutch and how can these differences be explained? A housing career can be defined simply as "The sequence of dwellings that a household occupies during its history". Usually, households move relatively often in the beginning of the housing career, because of changes in housing needs and changing aspirations and preferences. At the top-stage of the housing career occupants generally stay in their dwelling for a long time, because the dwelling is found attractive, or there seems to be little chance of obtaining anything better, or a combination of these two aspects. In this research three aspects of the housing careers of Turks and Moroccans are dealt with. First, the research goes into the level of the housing careers of Turks and Moroccans; what rung of the housing ladder do they reach? Second, the research deals with the course of the housing careers, how do Turks and Moroccans proceed with their housing career? Third, the research focuses on the role of the neighbourhood in the housing careers of Turks and Moroccans. This last aspect is of concern to gain insight in the residential segregation of Turks and Moroccans. After all, changing patterns of segregation are engendered by housing decisions and neighbourhood choices of individual households. To understand the changing function of a neighbourhood (in terms of changing population composition) it is therefore necessary to focus on the decisions of households to move into a neighbourhood, to stay or to move out of a neighbourhood.