Affordable Housing Communities Research Articles

Review of Conceptual Model to Spatially Assessing Safe City Level of Affordable Housing in Malaysia

Safety of residential area has become major concern in urban area, especially in affordable housing area, with several safety measure was implemented. Several Governments also developed safe city program, focusing on preventing crime index. Several initiatives were conducted to assess safety, including Safe City Index 2019, Safe City Program, Defensible Space Concept, crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), Smart Sustainable Cities, etc. Some of these initiatives focus only on crime, other focus on step to improve safety and other model that are broader focus but not specific to safety. Besides that, these models are less emphasis on the aspects of spatial assessment especially the safety level assessment based on affordable housing location in Malaysia. This study focuses on integrating spatial information and analysis to improve current initiatives, and come out with conceptual model to spatially assessing safety level of affordable housing in Malaysia. This conceptual model consists of 6 main indicators; crime, safety and security, infrastructure security, accessibility, natural disaster, and health security. With proper assessment model, further planning to improve current safety can be taken by government and affordable housing community.

Public perception matters: Individual waste sorting in Chinese communities

Individual waste sorting is necessary for effective, efficient waste management. Despite active government interventions, waste sorting has achieved limited success in China. Previous research provides contradictory theories and mixed evidence of the relationship between perceived environmental governance and individual waste sorting behavior. Some researchers argue that perceived environmental governance enhances individual engagement by offering a supportive atmosphere, whereas the crowding out thesis suggests that it undermines intrinsic motivation and suppresses participation. This study suggests that the controversy is partially attributed to people's varying expectations for central and local governments. Multivariate analyses of nationally representative data in China show that a positive evaluation of local government motivates individuals’ sorting behavior, whereas the perceived effective environmental governance of the central government decreases individual engagement, net of demographic and socioeconomic factors. Additionally, people in danwei and affordable housing communities who perceive the central government's environmental governance to be effective are more likely to sort waste. Institutional trust and the involvement of local actors may lead to differential outcomes. These findings suggest that waste sorting results from systematic evaluations of both individual preferences and institutional settings, and effective environmental governance requires more nuanced measures to evoke intrinsic motivation, preferably at the community level.

Emergency Rainwater Harvesting, Water Storage, and Distribution System for an Affordable Housing Development in Barbados

Background: To sustain both permanent residents and an intense tourism industry, Barbados overpumps its sole source of natural freshwater—the aquifer. Climate change is projected to increase both storm intensity and drought, further hampering groundwater recharge. These intense rainfalls quickly saturate topsoil and result in extensive surface run-off that causes flooding, erosion, sedimentation, and eutrophication. By providing more water for households and reducing aquifer withdrawal, rainwater harvesting has the potential to both mitigate water scarcity and reduce the amount of harmful run-off. However, rainwater harvesting is not currently practiced in Barbados. This paper proposes a hurricane-resistant rainwater harvest, storage, and distribution system to be implemented in an affordable housing community in St. Thomas, Barbados.Methods: In the creation of the distribution system design, social, economic and environmental concepts need to be considered. We first conducted a field survey within the neighbourhood to understand what the residents felt the local water supply lacked. Afterwards, we performed a detailed rainfall analysis to determine the amount of rainwater that can realistically be captured. Finally, we consulted with various academic experts, local industry members, and supply stores to determine an affordable design.Results: Our findings suggest that an initial household investment of $2790.90 BBD appears adequate to provide a system for rainwater harvesting, dual plumbing, and communal distribution which can withstand and utilize 1/50 years storms.Limitations: Given that rainwater harvesting is not currently practiced in Barbados, government initiatives are needed to encourage its development.Conclusion: Affordable rainwater harvesting, dual plumbing, and community distribution systems can be implemented to possibly reshape life in countries facing water scarcity.

Demand for community-based care services and its influencing factors among the elderly in affordable housing communities: a case study in Nanjing City

BackgroundCommunity-based care services refers to the professional services provided at home to the elderly with formally assessed demands. The growth of the elderly population has increased the demand for these services, and this issue is even worse in the affordable housing community (AHC) of China. Understanding of elderly’s demands for different types of community-based care services and its determinations would enable the implementation of appropriate incentive schemes to promote utilization of community-based care services in the AHCs of China.MethodsGuided by previous studies, a conceptual framework was developed. Then, a questionnaire was designed and a community based survey was conducted from May 10–20, 2018 in Daishan AHC of Nanjing City, China. Four hundred eight participants from 25,650 elderly people were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression was applied to the data about the elderly’ primary demands for community-based care services in the AHC, to quantify the elderly’s demands and explore related individual-level factors.ResultsThe finding indicates that more than 50% of respondents had the demand for an elderly care hotline, building health archives, on-call nursing and doctor visits, medical lectures, regular medical examinations and sporting fitness. The binary logistic regression models revealed that the primary demands of the elderly for community-based care services were influenced by distinct factors.ConclusionsOur findings help clarify different types of community-based care services and provide fresh information about the demand for community-based care among the elderly in AHCs. Several policy implications are discussed to enhance the efficiency of community-based care service provision.

Do neighborhood ties matter for residents' mental health in affordable housing: Evidence from Guangzhou, China

Neighborhood social capital and mental health are intrinsically interlinked. Nonetheless, there has been scant evidence on how neighborhood ties influence the mental health of residents in affordable housing in Chinese cities. The main objective of this paper is to examine the underlying pathway via which neighborhood tie affect mental health; specifically, to investigate effects of social ties between affordable housing residents and nearby commercial private housing residents; and secondly, those of the social ties within the same affordable housing community. We selected four typical affordable housing communities in Guangzhou City comprising a sample size of 400 participants and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to systematically explore the different pathways through which these two types of social ties affect mental health at the neighborhood level. In particular, we focused on whether the current development trend for affordable housing surrounded by commodity housing would create issues of social comparison that could negatively impact the mental health of those residents in affordable housing. Our results report that both types of neighborhood tie have a positive effect upon mental health of the affordable housing residents. The reported evidence indicate that Guangzhou's mixed housing development approach did not adversely affect the mental health of residents due to social comparison issues, with the residents' community satisfaction being beneficially associated with mental health. Our study suggests that optimizing planning of neighborhood housing, in terms of type and diversity can be a preventive intervention to creating a healthy space that promote cross-class interactions between mixed community residents, thereby enhancing the mental health of affordable housing residents.

A sleep hygiene and yoga intervention conducted in affordable housing communities: Pilot study results and lessons for a future trial

Backgroundand purpose: Inadequate sleep is highly prevalent among socioeconomically disadvantaged and racial/ethnic minority communities and is often related to maladaptive sleep behaviors and stress. There is scant research investigating the delivery of these interventions in underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a sleep education and yoga intervention for socioeconomically disadvantaged and racial/ethnic diverse adults. Materials and methodsWe present quantitative and qualitative data from a single-arm sleep education and yoga pilot study (n = 17) conducted in two affordable housing communities, and the multi-modal process we employed to refine the intervention for a future trial. ResultsParticipants were age 43.6 years on average (±19.3 years) and 88.2% were female. Nearly 56% identified as non-Hispanic Black and 19% as Hispanic/Latino. Results showed significant pre/post-intervention improvements in sleep duration (5.4 ± 1.2 h/night vs 6.9 ± 1.7 h/night; p < 0.01), sleep-related impairment (−8.15; p < 0.01), sleep disturbance (−5.95; p < 0.01), and sleep hygiene behaviors (−5.50; p < 0.01). ConclusionThis study indicates intervention acceptability and improvements in sleep and sleep hygiene. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to assess efficacy.

Adapting sleep hygiene for community interventions: a qualitative investigation of sleep hygiene behaviors among racially/ethnically diverse, low-income adults

BackgroundDespite the high prevalence of inadequate sleep in racially/ethnically diverse, low-income adults, there is scant research targeting sleep health interventions among underserved populations. Sleep hygiene (SH) recommendations may help promote sleep health for the general population; however, they likely require tailoring to optimize uptake and effectiveness in the “real world” given socio–contextual factors. As an initial step to developing contextually appropriate and effective community-based SH interventions, we conducted qualitative research to understand SH behaviors, beliefs, and barriers in a low-income, ethnically diverse sample of adults. MethodsWe recruited 24 racially/ethnically diverse adults from an affordable housing community who self-reported sleeping ≤6 hours on average. Participants were invited to either an individual interview (n = 5) or a focus group (n = 3). A deductive, thematic-analysis approach was employed. Data collection and interpretation were informed by the Socio-Contextual Model of Behavior Change. ResultsThere was evidence of high acceptability of SH and interest in improving sleep health. Barriers to implementing SH were multifaceted, including individual (knowledge, motivation, habits, medical issues, stress, trauma), interpersonal (caregiving), organizational (job strain), and environmental (noise) factors. ConclusionsFuture strategies for adapting behavioral SH interventions should target knowledge, skill development, and behavioral change domains, such as motivation, social support, and self-efficacy. In addition, adapting SH beyond the clinical context for a high-need community population requires attention to multilevel sociocontextual factors that contribute to sleep health, particularly chronic stress, prior trauma, and adverse sleeping environments. Development of novel trauma-informed SH interventions may promote effective and safe implementation.

Usage of Urban Space and Sociospatial Differentiation of Income Groups: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

AbstractWith rapid economic and urban development in recent decades, sociospatial inequalities in Chinese cities are exacerbating. In China, the sociospatial structure of cities has experienced tremendous changes during the economic transition. Based on a person‐based perspective, this study explores the relationship between urban spaces and individual behaviours of low‐income and non‐low‐income groups in general and at the community level. The results indicate that low‐income residents are more likely constrained to outer suburbs than non‐low‐income residents. However, differences in urban‐space use between income groups vary in different communities. The differences in inner‐city communities are the most moderate, while the differences are the most significant in affordable housing communities. The logistic regression models reveal that the income variable influences only the outer‐suburb individuals’ use of urban space.

LINKS BETWEEN SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESSFUL AGING AMONG AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING RESIDENTS

We report on a study designed to integrate the convoy model of social relations with the successful aging model. The combined approach draws on the natural resources of interpersonal relations to promote successful aging thus minimizing risk of disease and disability, enhancing\\maintaining mental and physical functioning, and facilitating continued engagement in life. We describe the MacHouse Affordable Housing Study, a field experiment conducted in an affordable senior housing community. The experiment involved a resident driven intensive intervention program designed to increase social activities and engagement. Based on an extensive needs assessment and interviews with the resident council as well as individual residents a program of activities was developed. This included group meals, an exercise program that included a walking group and an exercise class, communal gardens, computer classes and resident outings. Results indicate that more frequent participation in these activities was associated with increased life satisfaction over time.

Community Geography: Examining Open Space, Socioeconomic Status, Housing Market Strength, and Solar Energy Potential in Buffalo’s West Side, New York

Community geography entails a university-community partnership where university researchers are guided by research questions and objectives provided by an organization or entity. Texas State University’s geography department (TXSTGD) partnered with People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH), a nonprofit organization in Buffalo, New York. PUSH identified four objectives for Texas State’s geography department concerning the Westside of Buffalo: (1) develop an open space plan through identification of current and potential open spaces; (2) examine the socioeconomic status of neighborhoods in order to determine areas of vulnerability; (3) analyze housing vacancies, property values, and sales trends to assist in locating new opportunities for affordable housing and other community development projects; and (4) explore suitability for residential solar power installations. Implications of the findings are discussed, and this paper concludes with the implications of community geography for university geography departments and community advocacy and planning.

Effects of Community Community Communication Technology (ICT) Usage on Community Satisfaction: Case Study in Nanjing, China

Future or smart community, which mainly refers to the development of community information and communication technology (ICT) platforms or devices, has received considerable attention from urban governments and scholars. However, only a few studies have been conducted to test the actual effects of using these community ICT platforms or devices on the community satisfaction of residents. Therefore, the present study conducts a survey in 40 communities in Nanjing, China and uses a mixed linear regression model to determine the relationship between community ICT usage and community satisfaction. Results indicate that residents with high-level community ICT usage are more satisfied with their community than those with low-level community ICT usage. Moreover, evident differences are observed regarding the influence of new commodity, old commodity and affordable housing communities in Nanjing. These findings are meaningful for the construction and development of future communities.

Do affordable housing programs facilitate migrants' social integration in Chinese cities?

Using the data from “China Migrants' Dynamic Survey” conducted by China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, we examine the impacts of affordable housing programs on migrants' social integration in Chinese cities. We measure social integration in terms of migrants' participation in local activities and sense of belonging. We find that, after controlling for individual characteristics, the social integration level of migrants living in affordable housing program communities is significantly higher than that of migrants living in other communities. Heterogeneous analyses show that the migrants living in the rental units in affordable housing program communities exhibit a much higher level of social integration than do similar migrants living in other rental units. However, owner-occupied affordable housing communities do not show a significant effect in improving social integration, compared to other owner-occupied housing communities. Further analysis suggests that the inclusiveness of the living environment and neighborhood helps explain the main difference.

Understanding the slum-health conundrum in sub-Saharan Africa: a proposal for a rights-based approach to health promotion in slums.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the world's least urbanized region but is ironically also the region with the largest proportion of urban slum dwellers. However, there exists limited understanding of the impact of slums on health in the region. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar to identify and review studies examining the slum-health relationship in sub-Saharan African cities. Subsequently, we performed thematic analysis of 40 studies to identify themes that explain the health impact of slums in the region. The majority of studies characterize slums as health-damaging settings, where poverty and unfavorable environmental conditions pose threats to public health and safety. Only a handful of studies suggest a beneficial relationship between slums and health, in such areas as affordable housing provision, employment generation, and community cohesion. We argue that the literature's overwhelming emphasis on the environmental risks of slums feeds into a neoliberal urban agenda that seeks to clear slums at the expense of their beneficial contributions to health. Accordingly, we advocate a shift in policy discourse, from static characterization of slums as health risks to a health-promotion agenda that emphasizes the housing and service rights of slum populations.

Do residents of Affordable Housing Communities in China suffer from relative accessibility deprivation? A case study of Nanjing

Affordable housing has emerged as a key issue in urban development in a wide range of countries. Themes in research on affordable housing development across the world are reviewed. Affordable Housing Communities for low income households have been built on a large scale in developing countries such as China during the last two decades, mainly in urban fringe areas. Evidence on the impact of the location on access of residents to services is rare. Studying Nanjing, this paper compares spatial access to services between Affordable Housing Communities and Other Housing Communities by measuring distances and imputing walking time between residential land parcels and facilities. Affordable Housing Communities have significantly poorer access than Other Housing Communities, because of poor neighbourhood provision of low order services and poor access to high order services. A household survey of Affordable Housing Communities and Other Housing Communities records the daily lives, degrees of satisfaction and community attachments of residents. Residents in affordable housing have low degrees of satisfaction, weak community attachments and desire to move. The findings emphasize that service provision should be planned to keep pace with Affordable housing construction, so that these communities become better places to live.

Supply Skepticism: Housing Supply and Affordability

ABSTRACTGrowing numbers of affordable housing advocates and community members are questioning the premise that increasing the supply of market-rate housing will result in housing that is more affordable. Economists and other experts who favor increases in supply have failed to take these supply skeptics seriously. But left unanswered, supply skepticism is likely to continue to feed local opposition to housing construction, and further increase the prevalence and intensity of land-use regulations that limit construction. This article is meant to bridge the divide, addressing each of the key arguments supply skeptics make and reviewing what research has shown about housing supply and its effect on affordability. We ultimately conclude, from both theory and empirical evidence, that adding new homes moderates price increases and therefore makes housing more affordable to low- and moderate-income families. We argue further that there are additional reasons to be concerned about inadequate supply response and assess the evidence on those effects of limiting supply, including preventing workers from moving to areas with growing job opportunities. Finally, we conclude by emphasizing that new market-rate housing is necessary but not sufficient. Government intervention is critical to ensure that supply is added at prices affordable to a range of incomes.

A two-stage spatial allocation model for elderly healthcare facilities in large-scale affordable housing communities: a case study in Nanjing City

BackgroundAs the proportion of elderly residents living in large-scale affordable housing communities (LAHCs) increases in China, serious problems have become apparent related to the spatial allocation of elderly healthcare facilities (EHFs), e.g., insufficient provision and inaccessibility. To address these issues, this study developed a location allocation model for EHFs to ensure equitable and efficient access to healthcare services for the elderly in LAHCs.MethodsBased on discrete location theory, this paper develops a two-stage optimization model for the spatial allocation of EHFs in LAHCs. In the first stage, the candidate locations of EHFs are specified using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. In the second stage, the optimal location and size of each EHF are determined based on the greedy algorithm (GA). Finally, the proposed two-stage optimization model is tested using the Daishan LAHC in Nanjing, Eastern China.ResultsThe demand of the elderly for accessibility to EHFs is in line with Nanjing’s planning standards. Deep insights into spatial data are revealed by GIS techniques that enable candidate locations of EHFs to be obtained. In addition, the model helps EHF planners achieve equity and efficiency simultaneously. Two optimal locations for EHFs in the Daishan LAHC are identified, which in turn verifies the validity of the model.ConclusionsAs a strategy for allocating EHFs, this two-stage model improves the equity and efficiency of access to healthcare services for the elderly by optimizing the potential sites for EHFs. It can also be used to assist policymakers in providing adequate healthcare services for the low-income elderly. Furthermore, the model can be extended to the allocation of other public-service facilities in different countries or regions.

Affordable housing brings about socio-spatial exclusion in Changchun, China: Explanation in various economic motivations of local governments

Compared to Western countries, China's provision of affordable housing mainly focuses on supply-side subsidies. In China, the provision of affordable housing highly depends on local governments' impetus. While this, on one hand, ensures the stable provision of such housing, on the other hand, the model is disadvantageous since local governments have great discretionary power in the construction of affordable housing. Driven by economic interests, local governments often construct high-capacity affordable housing communities in remote locations, thus potentially distorting the ambitious aims and principles of China's affordable housing scheme. The empirical findings of this paper confirm that this particular spatial distribution of affordable housing has negatively affected the social interactions and life chances of its users. The key reasons behind these negative effects were found to be primarily economic motivations of local governments to construct such housing, including reducing their losses in land finance, maintaining high housing prices in central areas, pushing the price of urban land, and promoting urbanization.

Examining the Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Community-Based Obesity Prevention Program

ABSTRACTBackground: Latinos in the United States are at heightened risk for obesity and health disparities, yet community-based interventions to promote health are limited. Purpose: This research examined the feasibility and efficacy of a culturally relevant obesity prevention program (Vivir Sano), which included stress reduction and behavioral lifestyle intervention components. Methods: In phase 1, focus groups were completed with 21 residents of an affordable housing community to assess program needs and interests. In phase 2, 41 primarily Latino adults living in several neighboring affordable housing communities enrolled in the intervention. Twenty-three (56%) completed both pre- and postassessments (per protocol group). We examined pre–post differences in health-related behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes. Results: Over 96% of participants who completed a posttest satisfaction questionnaire reported that they were likely or very likely to use the skills learned in the program. Approximately 85% reported that the program moderately or significantly improved their health. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the per protocol group increased weekly vegetable consumption by 4.2 servings (Cohen’s d = 0.48). Translation to Health Education Practice: We discuss barriers and lessons learned related to implementing obesity prevention programming in affordable housing communities, where residents are more likely to experience chronic stress and food insecurity.

Housing Governance and Senses of Home in Older Age: The Provider Scale

ABSTRACTExtensive research examines senses of home in aging, focusing on built and care environments. In parallel, a body of work examines housing governance, reviewing degrees of resident satisfaction. However, there is little crossover between this work, with governance research only rarely considering senses of home. This article argues for attention to the interconnections between provider-scale housing governance and senses of home in older age, arguing that governance mechanisms structure the housing context and provide the framework through which home is experienced and lived. Through a case study of a small, affordable housing community in Sydney, Australia, it shows that housing governance can profoundly shape senses of home in aging, both contributing to and diminishing senses of home. Further, it points to a connection between housing governance and housing design with different housing typologies associated with different aging bodies and forms of management practice, with profound implications for residents' senses of home.

Low-income adults' perceptions of farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture programmes.

To better understand low-income adults' attitudes towards participating in farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) and nutrition education programming. Focus groups were held with a diverse sample of adults. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Three affordable housing communities in Washington, DC, USA. Participants included twenty-eight residents of the three affordable housing communities. Four major themes emerged across groups, along with several sub-themes within each theme. These included: (i) perceptions of farmers' markets (benefits, barriers, current participation and knowledge); (ii) perceptions of CSA (benefits, barriers and questions/concerns); (iii) need/interest in additional programming (nutrition education, non-nutrition education, qualities of programming and perceived barriers); and (iv) current health knowledge and behaviours (dietary behaviours, health recommendations and health concerns). Adults living in urban, affordable housing communities desire access to healthy foods, but are limited by cost. Programmes could have a higher likelihood of success if they accept benefits like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), are heavily marketed and incorporate culturally relevant nutrition education components.