Analysis of the family housingand its occupants in downtown Madrid.

This paper analyses the characteristics of the family housing in the urban district of ‘Centro’ in Madrid. Two points of view are taken into account. One of them is a spatial perspective, considering the municipality and the province of Madrid as comparative and broader residential contexts. Another one is a demographic perspective, distinguishing profiles of population according to its socioeconomic features. From the 1991 Census of Population and Housing, selected variables related to the houses, such as age, size, tenure status and amenities, as well as several items concerning socio-demographic features of the population, have been used. Rates of overcrowding, amenities and global quality of housing have been also calculated. It has been concluded that the district «Centro» is spatially and demographically heterogeneous and its centrality is a determinant aspect over the housing characteristics and over the different profiles and living arrangements of the residents living there.