Housing Choice Research Articles

Reasons for choosing sober living houses and their associations with substance use recovery outcomes

BackgroundSober living houses (SLHs) offer abstinence-based housing for people in recovery. Studies have shown that these supportive environments are associated with positive outcomes, yet little is known about why residents choose SLHs and their relationship to recovery outcomes. MethodsLongitudinal data were collected from SLH residents who completed an interview six months after baseline (N = 462). Participants rated the importance of eight reasons for choosing SLHs. Multilevel models assessed whether reasons for choosing were associated with outcomes abstinence on the Timeline Followback, psychiatric distress via the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), employment problems severity on Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and length of stay (LOS). ResultsThe most frequently cited reasons residents chose SLHs were affordability (74.4 %) and wanting to live with others in recovery (63.2 %). Reasons for choosing were not associated with neither LOS nor abstinence, except for not wanting to live with others in recovery predicting abstinence from all drugs except marijuana. Choosing SLHs due to affordability was associated with less psychiatric distress; no other place to live was associated with increased psychiatric distress (Ps < 0.05). Severity of employment problems was associated with choosing SLHs based on location, transportation, and someone else paying fees (Ps < 0.01). ConclusionResidents seek entry into SLHs to live affordably with others in recovery. Those who had no other option had greater psychiatric distress, thus supporting findings of housing instability being related to mental health. Reasons for choosing related to employment problems severity may reflect how concerns about employment impact housing choices.

Safety Perceptions and Micro-Segregation: Exploring Gated- and Non-Gated-Community Dynamics in Quetta, Pakistan

Crime impacts residential neighborhoods not only through the loss of life and property but also by instilling a widespread fear among residents. To combat this fear, physical security measures like safety locks, gates, and high perimeter walls have proven effective in both developed and developing nations. This trend has led to the increased popularity of gated communities in Pakistan as a preferred housing choice. In addition to encouraging micro-segregation, these developments also attract a large number of residents. In order to better understand the differences in residents’ fear of crime in relation to their health and socio-economic status, this paper compares residential housing schemes in Quetta, Pakistan (gated and non-gated). Surveys and on-site observations in four different residential areas of the city underpin the methodology. The results suggest that past experiences of crime victimization strongly affect feelings of safety in both gated and non-gated communities. The study highlights the complex relationship between the perception of safety, health and well-being, socio-economic status, and the type of community, highlighting how these factors collectively influence respondents’ experiences and create micro-segregation.

A paradox of economic benefit and social equity of green space in megacity: Evidence from Tianjin in China

Urban green space (UGS) plays a crucial role in socio-ecological systems and has been recognized as an important factor in promoting sustainable cities and communities. Although a few studies have proposed a paradox of the incompatibility of economic benefit and social equity in UGS, the mechanisms through which the economic benefits of UGS interact with social equity have not been adequately demonstrated in developing countries. Here, we employ multi-source geographic information and 1559 residents survey data to investigate not only the economic benefit of UGS in the housing prices market from a macro perspective, but also the social inequity issues resulting from the housing choices of different social classes under "UGS economic benefit" from a micro perspective. Results reveal that the economic value premium of UGS in the housing market triggered a differentiation effect in housing prices, subsequently influencing housing preferences among various social classes, thus intensifying social residential segregation. This phenomenon underscores the emergence of the green space paradox. Moreover, the phenomenon of the UGS paradox has emerged in megacities of developing countries, where UGS is gradually being occupied by social elites, while vulnerable groups remain marginalized. These findings provide valuable insights into the planning layout of UGS in global high-density built-up areas that a small and decentralized UGS layout will be more economically efficient and socially equitable than a large and centralized UGS layout.

Effect of housing systems on behaviour and growth performance in fattening rabbits

This study was conducted to investigate different housing systems and their effects on the growth performance and behaviour of fattening rabbits. The 120 animals were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups based on the type of housing, from 35 to 84 days: cages (CG), 10 collective wire cages; each housing, 4 animals in 0.3 m²; closed pens (CP), 10 closed pens accommodating 4 rabbits, each with 0.525 m² and straw bedding on the ground; and an open-air system (OA), with 2 pens in the field each measuring 80 m², housing 20 rabbits in each pen. Live weight and feed intake were monitored every week. At the ages of 70 and 84 days, 10 rabbits per treatment were slaughtered, and blood samples were collected to measure haematocrit, cortisol and corticosterone levels. At the same age, 10 additional rabbits per treatment were chosen for an open field test. Compared with CG rabbits, OA rabbits exhibited a significantly lower final weight (2563 g vs. 2980 g). Compared with CG rabbits, OA rabbits also demonstrated reduced weight gain (33.1 vs. 41.8 g/d) and a decreased intake of pelletized feed (111.5 vs. 139.6 g/d). Corticosterone and haematocrit levels were smaller in other lodgements than in caged rabbits, which may suggest a poorer wellbeing status. This study indicated that animals housed in the outdoor system travelled greater distances (P&lt;0.05) than did those housed in other housing types. The choice of rabbit housing during the growing period has an impact on growth performance, which is compromised in the outdoor system, and behaviour, which is negatively affected in the cage system.

Transformation and Belonging: Analyzing the Dynamics of Property Choices among Rural Migrants Transitioning to Urban Middle-Class Identities in China During the 1990s

This study articulates the transformative trajectory of rural migrants towards urban middle-class status in China during the notable period of the 1990s, placing a particular emphasis on the strategic significance of housing decisions within this metamorphosis. It meticulously examines the confluence of economic imperatives, social networks, and urban governance frameworks as pivotal determinants shaping the housing choices of these migrants, thereby facilitating or constraining their socio-economic mobility and integration into the urban milieu. Employing a robust qualitative methodology encompassing in-depth interviews and case studies, the research elucidates the nuanced interplay between individual agency and structural impediments in the pursuit of urban middle-class identity. This scholarly inquiry not only unveils the complex dynamics of social stratification and urbanization but also enriches the discourse on the socio-political implications of migration and housing policy in the context of China's rapid urban transformation. Through this lens, the study contributes to a more sophisticated understanding of the processes underpinning social identity formation and the reconfiguration of urban landscapes in developing economies.

TOWARD SPATIAL AND SOCIAL EQUALITY: INVESTIGATING AND MODELING THE LINK BETWEEN OPPORTUNITY AND URBAN INTENSITY IN METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Abstract. This paper employed an interdisciplinary mixed-method approach combining geomatics, geography, and sociology to investigate the link between opportunity and urban intensity across the 32 legislative districts of Metro Manila. Eighteen opportunity indicators, weighted within their opportunity dimensions using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used to output Opportunity Scores, while annual VIIRS DNB nighttime light was used as proxy data to approximate the region’s Urban Intensity Score. Two regression models were developed with different sets of explanatory variables: an AHP-based model that used the top two weighted indicators from each opportunity dimension, and a model that used Exploratory Regression Analysis (ERA) to determine the appropriate variable combination. Modeling via Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS) produced a properly specified global model, while OLS modeling of the ERA-based model exhibited non-stationarity between variables which necessitated performing Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). Our quantitative findings, combined with insights from our mini focus group discussion (FGD), provided evidence of the unequal distribution of opportunities across Metro Manila and the spatially varying relationship between urban intensity and opportunity, which have significant implications for urban framework as well as housing choice.

Beyond ownership: assessing diverse housing typologies and policy interventions for affordable housing in Dilla, Ethiopia

AbstractThis research addresses global housing crisis, a secondary city of Dilla in Ethiopia as a case study. This study seeks to fill the empirical knowledge gap in popular housing typologies and tenure types in urban development in the Global South outside metropolitan areas. Drawing from an in-depth study of 18 households, the focus is on housing choices of middle- and low-income households in a secondary city of Dilla, Ethiopia. Such cities so far have been less in the focus of researchers, compared to capital regions. The studied housing types are tenures of homeownership, private rental and a rent-free model as housing types, with informal arrangements playing a role in the last two types. Our study underlines the necessity of not only acknowledging, repairing and formalizing the existing semi- and informal housing developments but also of proactively planning for peripheral housing developments and future expansion, a strategy with broader applicability to the region and the Global South. Such anticipating measures include the development of water and energy infrastructure, land earmarking for much-needed public rental housing, and the establishment of robust tenant rights through legislative foresight.

The impact of a macroprudential borrower-based measure on households’ leverage and housing choices

This paper investigates the impact of changes in lending limits on household leverage and housing choices. Using credit registry data and a difference-in-differences estimation strategy we determine how a change in the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio - a macroprudential policy tool - affected constrained households. Our results show that the policy change was effective in reducing households' leverage as constrained households took out smaller loans and had lower loan-to-income ratios. Such households also paid higher interest rate spreads and had higher loan-service-to-income ratios than the control group. Finally, we also show that the policy change affected households' housing choices, as constrained households bought less expensive houses. Our results highlight the improvement of the risk profile of households following the introduction of the LTV limits.

Effects of Urban Parks on Housing Prices in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era in China

Urban parks are important for improving the quality of living environments. Although the impact of parks on housing prices has been well documented, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain vague. This paper analyzes the housing prices of neighborhoods around Meixi Lake park in Changsha, at the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 and the stable stage of the recovery period in June 2023, which demonstrates the impacts of urban parks on property pricing and housing choice based on residential transaction data. The results indicate that urban parks are given a high priority in determining people’s choices. In June 2020, the risk of epidemic transmission and noise interference lowered the price of property that is close to public parks and recreational facilities. However, good management and social services in residential areas increase housing prices. However, when the pandemic ended, the strong demand for outdoor activities led to a price rise in the properties near Meixi Lake park. People are most likely to choose houses in a neighborhood characterized by good educational facilities and a high-quality living environment. More specially, the houses with a short distance to parks and where residents can enjoy the view of a lake or mountains are preferable to any others. A residential area adjacent to a super large park paired with a small park is the most valuable consideration for property developers and housing consumers.

Housing Vulnerability, Shared Housing, Informality, and Crowding: The Housing Strategies of China’s Recent College Graduates

ABSTRACT Mirroring developments elsewhere, for recent college graduates in China the transition to employment is increasingly protracted and, for some, precarious. Case studies of individual strategies and cities indicate a diversification of housing pathways, where economic precarity is rendering at least some vulnerable. Based on original survey data collected in 2019, I investigate the housing choices of Chinese college graduate job market entrants and ask who is vulnerable and whether adverse outcomes are mere market entry strategies or lasting. I find that recent graduates generally find housing in central locations, close to their work. However, to achieve favourable locational outcomes on low budgets, many resort to sharing. High-density room sharing of three or more people is illegal but prominent and dominates in first-tier cities. The findings highlight how urbanization interacts with housing vulnerability and contribute to theorizing on the housing crisis, the Global North-South binary, and the very nature of home sharing.

The Influence of Motivation Factors on Housing Choice of Migrants in Ho Chi Minh City

This study aims to assess the impact of motivational factors on the housing choices of rural-to-urban migrants. The motivations leading to housing choices include migration reasons, life events, and satisfaction with housing. The author suggested a research model with three hypotheses and conducted a survey between migrant people living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to test these hypotheses. There are several notable findings in this study. Firstly, the first hypothesis was accepted as factors related to both economic and non-economic values have a positive impact on housing choices. This aligns well with the reality that the majority of individuals aged 25–45 consider this as their primary goal when migrating to the city and searching for housing. Secondly, changes in current life circumstances can lead to changes in housing choice intentions. Thirdly, a significant finding of the research is that most individuals with an intention to change their place of residence do so because they are dissatisfied with the housing conditions or prices. In this research, housing satisfaction is an even more significant factor influencing housing choice intentions than life events and economic and noneconomic values. This study has some limitations, as it is necessary to clarify other factors, because only motivation may be impossible to change housing choice intentions. It is suggested that a number of other factors, such as opportunities or migrants’ capabilities could also influence the moving intentions.

Measuring Housing Inequality with the Value of Freedom in the Capability Approach: Proposal and Demonstration

ABSTRACT An ongoing question in capability research is how to incorporate the value of freedom into the measurement of inequality. This article proposes an approach to answering this question in the housing domain and its operationalisation. The approach places an evaluation focus to the conditions constraining or expanding housing choices in the dimensions of opportunity, security, and ability. For operationalisation, the study designed a measurement of multidimensional housing disadvantages (MHDs) using the Alkire-Foster method and data from the Netherlands. Indicators include the entitlement to housing tenure options, vulnerability in housing cost payments, and ability to plan finance for housing. The measurement outcome demonstrates that the MHDs measurement can provide information on whose housing choices are more intensely constrained, thus having a lower capability for housing, and whose current housing situation is likely a result of coerced choices. The findings indicate that adults living with housemates or family (latent households), youths, and those with precarious jobs have a significantly lower capability for housing compared to other population groups. This article also compares the freedom-oriented measure of MHDs with functioning-oriented and other conventional measures and discusses its distinguishing properties. This comparison suggests a need to revisit current policy priorities in addressing housing inequality.

Post-Pandemic Rental Housing Affordability Economics in the U.S., U.K., &amp; Canada

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14pt;"&gt;Rental unaffordability is defined as spending more than 30% of a household&amp;rsquo;s gross income on rent. Post-pandemic inflation and interest rate increases have intensified rental unaffordability. This research examines rental affordability in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. It also explores the effect of renters&amp;rsquo; &amp;ldquo;affordability knowledge&amp;rdquo; &amp;ndash; defined as the expertise tenants have and use to make economical rental housing choices &amp;ndash; on rent expenditure and affordability positioning and compares personal finances, economic perspectives, and demographics based on renters in affordable and unaffordable situations. The results show that nearly two-thirds of the renters studied are in unaffordable rental situations. Interestingly, affordability knowledge was found to reduce rent spent and increase affordability situations. Significant demographic differences were found between those in affordable and unaffordable rental situations, including rent spending, food spending, transportation spending, savings, perceived homeownership likelihood, and age. The research offers important insight into current rental affordability economics, recommendations for policymakers, and opportunities for real estate organizations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Federal Housing Assistance and Blood Lead Levels in a Nationally Representative US Sample Age 6 and Older: NHANES, 1999-2018.

Federal housing assistance is an important policy tool to ensure housing security for low-income households. Less is known about its impact on residential environmental exposures, particularly lead. We conducted a quasi-experimental study to investigate the association between federal housing assistance and blood lead levels (BLLs) in a nationally representative US sample age 6 y and older eligible for housing assistance. We used the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) linked with US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative records to assess BLLs of NHANES participants with concurrent HUD housing assistance (i.e., current recipients, ) and those receiving assistance within 2 y after the survey (i.e., pseudo-waitlist recipients, ). We estimated BLL least squares geometric means (LSGMs), odds ratio (OR) for BLL , and percent differences in LSGMs by HUD housing assistance status adjusting for age, sex, family income-to-poverty ratio, education, country of birth, race/ethnicity, region, and survey year. We also examined effect modification using interaction terms and stratified analyses by program type [i.e., public housing, multifamily, housing choice vouchers (HCV)], and race/ethnicity. Current HUD recipients had a significantly lower LSGM [; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.12] than pseudo-waitlist recipients (; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.28), with an adjusted OR of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.87) for BLL . Some effect modification were observed: The protective association of HUD assistance on BLL was strongest among public housing ( LSGM; 95% CI: , ), multifamily ( LSGM; 95% CI: , ), and non-Hispanic White ( LSGM; 95% CI: , ) recipients. It was weaker to null among HCV ( LSGM; 95% CI: , 1.7%), non-Hispanic Black ( LSGM; 95% CI: , 5.4%), and Mexican American (-12.5% LSGM; 95% CI: , ) recipients. Our research underscores the importance of social-structural determinants like federal housing assistance in providing affordable, stable, and healthy housing to very low-income households. More attention is needed to ensure housing quality and racial equity across HUD's three major housing assistance programs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12645.

중·고령가구의 은퇴 이후 주거모델 선호 연구

This study conducted a survey of middle-aged and elderly households aged 55 or older to study their preferences for post-retirement residential models, and asked to choose their preferred model among four residential models(elderly welfare housing(silver town), community housing, and in-home service and living at home). The analysis results are summarized as follows. First, different residential models were selected depending on the lifestyle, assets, monthly income, and demographic characteristics of middle-aged and elderly households, which shows that the development and supply of various residential models is necessary. Second, in order to provide a practical residential model after retirement, it is necessary to present alternatives by considering the level of housing costs that middle-class households can pay. Third, as the proportion of respondents who did not want to move to senior housing was high, there is a need to expand in-home service that allow people to receive living support and health care services while living at home. These results can provide implications as basic research when establishing senior housing policies, and are expected to contribute to expanding housing choice opportunities for middle-aged and elderly households.

Housing Informality and Labor Informality in Space: In Search of the Missing Links

This paper analyzes the relationship between informal housing and labor informality at the intraurban level, considering these two phenomena' simultaneity and spatial dimensions. Our analysis focuses on the context of a city in a developing country, Medellín (Colombia), characterized by significant housing precariousness and low employment quality, where space seems to play an essential role in understanding this relationship. Using data from 176 analytical regions in Medellín for 2017, we estimate a series of spatial simultaneous equation models that consider the potential cross-equation correlations in the error terms. The results show that these two types of urban informality are highly persistent in space, with noticeable spatial clusters observed in the peripheral and marginalized areas of the city. Additionally, the estimated econometric models reveal that precarious working conditions are key to explaining the spatial choice of housing and its characteristics, and vice versa. These findings emphasize the need for place-based policies that specifically target disadvantaged areas and help improve residents' working and housing conditions to address urban informality.

Energy-efficient investments in housing

In recent years, many papers in environmental economics have considered the household’s decision to invest in energy-efficient technologies for their home. The vast majority of these studies have concluded that investment levels in these technologies are sub-optimal for a variety of reasons. In this paper, we synthesize the suggested drivers of these investment wedges and propose a dynamic modeling framework of a housing choice and an energy-efficient-investment choice that includes the proposed channels. We discuss the estimation challenges associated with this model and conclude with suggestions for future research.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Renters’ Experiences with Maintenance Delays in the United States

Structural racism and individual discrimination contribute to racial inequalities in poor housing conditions in the United States. Less is known about whether and how structural racism and individual discrimination shape a parallel, but distinct, process that is also consequential for family wellbeing: experiencing housing unit maintenance delays. Maintenance delays transform acute problems into chronic stressors and increase exposure to physical hazards over time. Using the 2013 American Housing Survey, I examine racial/ethnic disparities in maintenance delays across non-Hispanic White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaska Native renters. Given that 2.3 million low-income households rent using Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), a federal housing assistance program with requirements around repair timing, I also examine how renting with a voucher shapes maintenance delays. There are three principal findings. First, White renters are more likely to report timely repairs than either Black or Hispanic renters. Second, for Black renters, both structural racism experienced in rental markets and individual discrimination drive this disparity, whereas Hispanic renters’ diverging maintenance experiences are largely explained by pathways impacted by structural racism. Third, renting with an HCV is not associated with repair timeliness for any racial/ethnic group. Taken together, the findings suggest that racial/ethnic disparities in substandard housing emerge not only through unequal exposure to housing quality problems but also through unequal responses to these issues.

Homelessness And Health: Factors, Evidence, Innovations That Work, And Policy Recommendations.

On a single night in 2023, more than 653,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States. In this overview, we highlight structural and individual risk factors that can lead to homelessness, explore evidence on the relationship between homelessness and health, discuss programmatic and policy innovations, and provide policy recommendations. Health system efforts to address homelessness and improve the health of homeless populations have included interventions such as screening for social needs and medical respite programs. Initiatives using the Housing First approach to permanent supportive housing have a strong track record of success. Health care financing innovations using Medicaid Section 1115 waivers offer promising new approaches to improving health and housing for people experiencing homelessness. To substantially reduce homelessness and its many adverse health impacts, changes are needed to increase the supply of affordable housing for households with very low incomes. Health care providers and systems should leverage their political power to advocate for policies that scale durable, evidence-based solutions to reduce homelessness, including increased funding to expand housing choice vouchers and greater investment in the creation and preservation of affordable housing.

Does Poor Health Influence Residential Selection? Understanding Mobility Among Low-Income Housing Voucher Recipients in the Moving to Opportunity Study

Housing-mobility programs and housing choice vouchers provide low-income families with a potentially transformative opportunity to move to low-poverty neighborhoods. However, families often face barriers to attaining upward residential mobility; poor health may be one important barrier, although few studies have examined this hypothesis. We used the experimental Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Demonstration Project (MTO) Study, constructed residential trajectories, and linked neighborhood opportunity measures to over 14,000 addresses of 3526 families across 7 years. We used latent growth curve longitudinal models to test how baseline health modified effects of MTO housing voucher treatment on neighborhood opportunity trajectories. Results show that poor baseline health adversely influenced how the voucher induced upward mobility. Voucher receipt strongly promoted residential mobility if families were healthy; moreover, the low-poverty neighborhood voucher plus counseling treatment promoted higher-opportunity neighborhood attainment than controls, regardless of the baseline health of the family. However, families with health vulnerabilities did not retain the same initial neighborhood gains conferred by the housing choice voucher (HCV) treatment as families without health vulnerabilities. These results suggest that housing counseling may be one necessary element to expand neighborhood choice into higher-opportunity neighborhoods for families with health challenges. Providing housing vouchers alone is insufficient to promote low-income-family high-opportunity moves, for families who have disabilities or special needs. The implications of these results point to scaling up housing-mobility programs, to provide tailored support for low-income families to use HCVs to make high-opportunity moves, which is particularly necessary for families with health challenges.