by Calculated Risk on 12/28/2010 09:45:00 PM

A few interesting unrelated stories:

• From Michael Luo in the NY Times: ‘Doubling Up’ in Recession-Strained Quarters

Census Bureau data released in September showed that the number of multifamily households jumped 11.7 percent from 2008 to 2010, reaching 15.5 million, or 13.2 percent of all households. It is the highest proportion since at least 1968, accounting for 54 million people.

Even that figure, however, is undoubtedly an undercount of the phenomenon social service providers call “doubling up,” which has ballooned in the recession and anemic recovery. The census’ multifamily household figures, for example, do not include such situations as when a single brother and a single sister move in together, or when a childless adult goes to live with his or her parents.

The article discusses the difficulties of 'doubling up', and the strains it puts on families and friends.

• From the WSJ: Hard Call for FDIC: When to Shut Bank. The FDIC disputes that it is dragging its feet closing banks due to a lack of manpower.

• And some upbeat news from Richard Velotta at the Las Vegas Sun: Signs of a surge in Las Vegas conventions

After more than a year of lethargic convention attendance in Las Vegas ... next year’s visitor numbers are expected to reach levels on par with late 2005 or early 2006 ... After stellar 2007, convention traffic tanked.

The recession hit Las Vegas in August 2008 when convention traffic fell 22.3 percent from the same month a year earlier. ... In 2009, convention traffic was off 23.9 percent for the year and August 2009 was down a stunning 58.9 percent from that ugly August 2008 number.

Looking at the Las Vegas visitors data, convention attendance declined in 2008, but really collapsed (off 24%) in 2009. Attendance was about the same this year as in 2009, so this would be quite an increase.

Earlier:
• Case-Shiller: Home Prices Weaken Further in October
• House Prices and Months-of-Supply, and Real House Prices