Housing Inadequacy Research Articles

Linking crowding, housing inadequacy, and perceived housing stress

This study sought to explain how housing inadequacy affects inhabitants' experiences of dwelling-related stress. We defined housing inadequacy as the gap between self-reported availability and importance of specific interior features, and we measured stress from self-reported perceptions of efficacy or helplessness with regard to the home. From a survey of 1668 community residents, we found that inadequate retreat and lack of dwelling-related efficacy each mediated the effect of inadequate comfort upon dwelling-related helplessness. Two moderation models, predicting efficacy and helplessness respectively, compared whether respondents reported that their households used all habitable rooms for sleeping. This rooms-ratio metric interacted with the more traditional density metric of persons-per-room; as persons-per-room increased, respondents in households using all rooms for sleeping had a steeper decrease in efficacy as well as a steeper increase in helplessness. We also explored some methodological issues in describing person-environment fit in a demographically heterogeneous sample.

Maternal depression as a risk factor for children's inadequate housing conditions

Depression among mothers with young children is an important public health issue that not only has implications for their own well-being, but can also potentially affect their children's health and developmental trajectories. This study explored the extent to which maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing conditions related to utilities, a noteworthy risk factor for poor child health. Using data on 2965 mothers and children from a national urban cohort of U.S. births in 1998–2000, we estimated multivariate logistic regression models of associations between maternal depression during the postpartum year and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) measure of severely inadequate housing due to heating issues, as well as a broader measure of energy insecurity that encompasses various types of utility problems. We also considered outcomes that incorporated housing instability and food insecurity in conjunction with housing inadequacy. Mothers who experienced depression had about 60% higher odds of experiencing severely inadequate housing due to heat (OR: 1.57) and 70% higher odds of experiencing energy insecurity (OR: 1.69) compared to mothers who did not experience depression. Maternal depression was even more strongly associated with multiple hardships in the forms of housing inadequacy plus housing instability and/or food insecurity than it was with housing inadequacy. This study provides robust evidence that maternal depression is a risk factor for inadequate housing and multiple hardships during a critical period of children's development. The findings suggest that policy efforts should not occur in mental health, housing, and food security silos.

Urban housing quality and its health implications in Nigeria: an example of Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria

Developing countries are faced with qualitative and quantitative housing inadequacies. Living conditions in many urban areas are squalid and pose serious health challenges on the inhabitants. This study examines the housing quality and its health implications in Lokoja metropolis. Both primary and secondary data were employed. A structured questionnaire was designed. An average of forty questionnaires was distributed across each of the three residential areas identified in the city to elicit information about the types of residential units occupied by the residents of the city and the facilities available in their houses such as toilets, electricity, and drainage. Secondary data was obtained from documentary sources. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal that more than 60% of the inhabitants live in indecent houses. The cost of housing is exorbitant to an average household in the city. This may advance the reasons substantial numbers of urban residents live in slum areas which are affordable to them. Further analysis reveals that the quality of housing varies across the residential areas identified in the city. Similarly, environmental health challenges vary across the three residential areas in Lokoja. The study recommends that low cost housing scheme should be established in Lokoja as this may reduce housing problems in the city. Also, this will enable the urban residents to live in a healthy environment and consequently improve the standard of living of urban dwellers in Lokoja. Key Words: Housing, Quality, Poverty, Facilities and Planning

Housing Adequacy: A Well‐being Indicator for Elderly Households in Southern U.S. Communities

This study examined housing adequacy of elderly households aged 65 years and older in southern communities in the United States. Housing adequacy was considered as a well‐being indicator for the elderly households. The researchers developed a model which hypothesized a relationship between selected demographic and housing variables (which represent American housing norms and restraints) and housing inadequacy. The 2011 American Housing Survey (AHS) National and Metropolitan Data were used for analysis. The results consist of statistics on the demographic and housing characteristics of the 7,675 elderly householders and the results of binary logistic regression. The results of the regression showed that elderly households in southern communities were more likely to live in inadequate housing if they had lower incomes, more household members, or low housing satisfaction; were Blacks or Hispanics or not married; or lived in housing built before the 1970s, in rural areas, or the West South Central areas, or in a smaller structure size. This analysis of the newly released 2011 AHS data is important because of its post‐housing‐crisis perspective.

Implications of accommodation in military facilities and adapted spaces to the standard of living of the Serbian Armed Forces members

One of the biggest, several-decade-present, problems of employees in the Serbian Armed Forces is a large number of unresolved housing issues, both of active duty personnel and of retired persons. It is widely known that by solving the housing problem, a member of the Armed Forces resolves a paramount vital issue, which is of particular importance to his/her family. In recent years, joint efforts of relevant government and military structures have made significant progress in terms of permanent housing solutions for a number of homeless members of the Armed Forces. These improvements can be measured by the number of allocated flats under lease for an indefinite period of time and by subsidized housing loans granted, whereby the respective individual has eventually settled his/her housing problem, but this still includes small number of persons employed in the Armed Forces. However, despite the efforts and visible progress made recently, a ranking list of applications for solving the housing problems is still very long and is measured in thousands of claims. This paper aims to point to, with the use of elemental analysis, the costs of housing and the method of evaluation and ranking of the 'housing inadequacy' criteria for certain categories of the Armed Forces members who have not finally solved their housing problem, namely the 'military homeless'. This paper presents detailed analysis of housing costs and housing inadequacy for temporary use of accommodation in military facilities and adapted living spaces, so-called 'emergency accommodations'.

Urban Slum Characteristics in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Imperatives for improvement

Problems of urban environmental degradation and inadequacy of housing and basic infrastructural facilities in the Niger Delta cities are well known. The discovery of petroleum oil in the Niger Delta region in the 1950s, is particularly remarkable for very rapid growth of the population of the region, which has increased and greatly intensified problems arising from the inadequacy of urban infrastructural facilities. The rapidity of overall population growth arises from a combination of a high rate of natural increase and a much higher rate of migration. This paper attempts an empirical analysis of slum characteristics in four leading cities in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria. Findings reveal that slum dwellers in these four cities live in subhuman conditionssubstandard dwelling units and protracted lack of community amenities and services. “Upgrading” rather than “clearance”, among others, were recommended for sustainable management of slum areas in the Niger Delta cities in particular and Nigerian cities in general.

Intimate partner violence in the Canadian territorial north: perspectives from a literature review and a media watch

IntroductionFamily violence is a complex, multidimensional and pervasive presence in many Aboriginal communities. Although practitioners acknowledge that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a grave concern in the North, as in other jurisdictions in Canada, there is a paucity of literature about IPV and the local response to that violence.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to report on a synthesis of Northern Territorial literature and a 3-year media watch conducted in the Canadian territories.DesignThis review is part of a multidisciplinary 5-year study occurring in the Northwest Territories (NT) and northern regions of the Prairie Provinces of Canada. The methods included a review of the literature through CINAHL, PubMed, Academic Search Complete, Social Sciences Index and JSTOR (1990–2012) combined with a media watch from 2009 to 2012. A thematic content analysis was completed.ResultsThemes included: colonization; alcohol and substance use; effects of residential schooling; housing inadequacies; help-seeking behaviours; and gaps within the justice system. Identified themes from the media watch were: murders from IPV; reported assaults and criminal charges; emergency protection orders; and awareness campaigns and prevention measures.ConclusionWhen synthesized, the results of the literature review and media surveillance depict a starting context and description of IPV in the Canadian territories. There are many questions left unanswered which build support for the necessity of the current research, outline the public outcry for action in local media and identify the current published knowledge about IPV.

THE POWER OF FICTION: HOW LITERATURE EDUCATED AND REFORMED AMERICAN SOCIETY

This paper focuses on a number of American stories which helped educate people and bring about legal or social change. There are many stories which caused major or minor legal and political change, particularly, in the United States. Some of them are written by Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Upton Sinclair and Sidney Kingsley. After the publication of White Jacket by Melville the novel was distributed to the U.S. Senate which consequently outlawed flogging on naval vessels. Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is another notable example of a literary text which triggered an enormous social change in America; in this case, the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Sinclair’s The Jungle was influential in obtaining passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Kingsley’s play, Dead End raised awareness about poverty and the inadequacy of housing in the slums of New York City and was responsible for the Wagner Housing Bill which was passed by the U.S. Congress to provide financial assistance to the States and political subdivisions for the elimination of unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions. There are many such stories which helped ameliorate American society and this paper will discuss these works and their social and political backgrounds.

Contribution and challenges of the private sector’s participation in housing in Nigeria: case study of Akure, Ondo state

Housing inadequacy in Nigeria’s rapidly growing urban centres is manifested in qualitative and quantitative terms. Government’s efforts at mass delivery of houses have failed to achieve the desired result, hence the collaboration between the public and private sector to bridge the wide housing gap. A study into the public–private partnered initiatives at mass delivery of housing in Akure, Nigeria was undertaken. Seven housing schemes of this sort were identified and studied, taking their contributions to bridging the housing gap in the city into account. The achievement is meagre though progressive strides are discernable. The macroeconomic environment, continued dominance of the public sector, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and socio-cultural issues presented serious challenges to active private-sector participation. Affordability is elusive; execution of the projects had some problems while political manoeuvrings impacted on the projects negatively. It is affirmed that participation of the private sector has potential for improving housing delivery; however, the present operation needs to be fine-tuned for future success.

Evaluating Users’ Household-Size and Housing Quality in Osogbo, Nigeria

The non-consideration of relevant socio–cultural parameters by Agencies responsible for housing provision has been identified as one of the major reasons for the housing inadequacies and poor quality in most developing countries - Nigeria inclusive. Significantly, this phenomenon has produced housing misuses, wastage of scarce resources and the creation of an apathetic citizenry. Premised on the foregoing, this paper examines the effect of users’ household-size – a socio-cultural parameter, in the determination of qualitative housing in Osogbo, Nigeria. Information on housing quality and households’ characteristics was provided by heads of households from 406 housing units, in three residential zones of Osogbo. Data analysis was by descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA).The result showed that the Yoruba ethnic group constitutes the majority (97.5% of the households), over other ethnic groups (Hausa, Igbo etc), while 70.9% of the households in the study area had an average household-size of six (6) or more persons. From the ANOVA test result (F=10.76; P=0.000), the study revealed a significant relationship between household-size and housing quality in Osogbo. The study further showed that the quality of housing in the city’s core area is poor compared with other residential areas in the town.The need to consider users’ household-size, among other relevant socio-cultural parameters in the design and development of qualitative housing in Nigeria is emphasized.Keywords: Housing quality; household-size; socio-cultural parameters; Osogbo; Nigeria.

Housing Dissatisfaction and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Analysis of a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of community-dwelling Americans older than 50 years of age indicated that rating the physical condition of one's dwelling unit as “poor” predicted significantly more rapid cognitive decline in subsequent years. This relationship persisted after controlling for a variety of factors such as wealth, income, education, health, family status, neighborhood safety, depression, and initial cognitive ability. Dissatisfaction with the physical conditions of one's housing may have a direct effect on the rate of cognitive decline in older adults. Addressing housing inadequacy for older adults may thus produce a wider range of societal benefits than previously realized.

Children's Housing Environments: Welfare Families in Iowa

This study uses qualitative data to examine how rural low-income women confront the housing needs of their young children in the midst of changes in public policy. The focus is on the strategies employed and the difficulties faced in the provision of safe, affordable and stable homes. The data are drawn from in-home interviews conducted every 6 months with 13 mothers who were welfare-dependent at the start of the research. The investigation depicts several dimensions of the circumstances of poor children that have not had much previous attention in the literature: serial housing inadequacy and chronic mobility. Several families with children with disabilities reported severe housing deficiencies. This research provides initial evidence of the important role of housing in promoting the goals of family stability and economic self-sufficiency as well as the need to improve health and developmental outcomes for children living in poverty.

Housing Satisfaction of Asian and Pacific Islander Households in the United States

According to the U.S. Census Bureau there were 12.5 million Asian and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S. in March 2002, accounting for 4.4% of the total population. This research examined the housing satisfaction of Asian and Pacific Islander households compared to non-Hispanic White households. Since many Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. are foreign-born, it was expected that their housing perceptions would be influenced by their experience with housing in their home countries. Using Morris and Winter’s housing adjustment theory, the study investigated the effect of several demographic variables, housing deficits, and neighborhood satisfaction on housing satisfaction. The study also considered two variables with cultural relevance (length of residence in the U.S. and extended family living arrangement) to test their effect on housing satisfaction. Data used for the research came from the 2002 American Housing Survey Metropolitan Sample (AHS-MS) collected from a sample of 13 metropolitan areas. Results revealed that, generally, demographic variables were not significant indicators of housing satisfaction. Two housing deficits (renter status and housing inadequacy) and neighborhood satisfaction were important mediating variables between housing satisfaction and household variables. Length of residence in the U.S. and extended family living arrangement were not significant predictors of housing satisfaction for Asian and Pacific Islanders. There was little difference in the explanation of housing satisfaction for Asian and Pacific Islander households compared to non-Hispanic White households.

Home hygiene and environmental sanitation: a country situation analysis for India

Problems of the environment and of domestic hygiene are always related to poverty of population and the sanitation of settlements. Most cities and towns in developing countries, like India, are characterised by over-crowding, congestion, inadequate water supply and inadequate facilities of disposal of human excreta, waste water and solid wastes. Inadequacy of housing for most urban poor invariably leads to poor home hygiene. Personal and domestic hygiene practices cannot be improved without improving basic amenities, such as water supply, waste water disposal, solid waste management and the problems of human settlements. But even under the prevailing conditions, there is significant scope of improving hygiene practices at home to prevent infection and cross-infection. Unfortunately, in developing countries, public health concerns are usually raised on the institutional setting, such as municipal services, hospitals, environmental sanitation, etc. There is a reluctance to acknowledge the home as a setting of equal importance along with the public institutions in the chain of disease transmission in the community. Managers of home hygiene and community hygiene must act in unison to optimise return from efforts to promote public health. Current practices and perceptions of domestic and personal hygiene in Indian communities, the existing levels of environmental and peri-domestic sanitation and the 'health risk' these pose will be outlined, as well as the need for an integrated action for improving hygiene behaviour and access to safe water and sanitation.

Housing quality among the elderly: a decade of changes.

Little research has been conducted on housing quality among the elderly. The fault lies partly with the lack of reliable data. Studies on elderly housing quality are spotty, anecdotal, and unsystematic. Many rely on decennial census data which provide a limited and unsatisfactory portrait of special housing needs of elders in general. This article seeks to fill this void by reporting a comprehensive study of elderly housing quality. For all units, logistic regression revealed that region and race are the most important predictors of housing inadequacy; tenure and the gender of the person living alone are moderately powerful influences upon inadequacy. Housing inadequacy is greater among blacks, in the South, for males living alone, and for renters.

HOUSING AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION IN RUSSIA: ZHIVAGO'S LEGACY

The inadequacy of housing and its effect on the quality of life go a long way toward explaining many aspects of Russian life, but little data has been available to determine how housing affected the relative well-being of the citizenry. This paper presents comprehensive data examining for the first time the effect that seventy years of a socialist housing allocation scheme had on the distribution of income. It seems clear that housing provided by the government or by employers has a value that can be measured to yield useful inferences about the distribution of income and wealth. This article shows that housing allocation had a progressive effect on the distribution of income in Russia. In addition, when the imputed value of housing is added to household income, the increase in income inequality that occurred in recent years is significantly reduced. The analysis concludes with a discussion of how housing policy could be used to address poverty concerns, an important aspect of the transition process.

Housing Inadequacy and Satisfaction of Black and White Households in Poverty

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of inadequate housing to the quality of life among poverty households in the United States. The 1991 American Housing Survey was used to study the contrasts between white and black households in poverty. Housing satisfaction was used as an indicator of quality of life. Although it has generally been accepted that race is a determinant of housing situation, this research indicates that housing and neighborhood factors are the direct determinants of housing satisfaction. Findings in this study support the hypothesis that being African American increases the likelihood of residing in inadequate housing. Housing satisfaction, however, is not directly influenced by race but rather by housing inadequacy and neighborhood satisfaction, which act as relatively strong intervening variables.

On the expulsion of rural inmigrants from Greater Khartoum ? the example of the Dinka in Suq el Markazi

The magnitude of housing demand and the inadequacy of public housing in most cities of the Third World have led to the emergence of types of housing which, while having different names, are classified as “squatter settlements”. In Khartoum, the expansion of squatter settlements has mainly been due to political processes that resulted in dramatic urban needs generated by uneven development, widespread migration, demographic growth and income inequalities. In the recent years, however, rural recession, civil war, drought, floods and famine combined to turn the Sudanese capital city into a reception centre for a considerable number of displaced people from areas affected. Here the bulk of the displaced persons found accommodation in huts that they built themselves. The government responded to such a situation by embarking on a large scale deportation programme. Attempts to bargain, resist, or to cope with the political system, on the part of the displaced people, proved to be in vain. Available estimates suggest that at least two thirds of the two or more million migrants who moved to Khartoum during the last sixteen years, have now been forcibly driven back to rural areas.

Financing Housing in Developing Countries: A Review of the Pitfalls and Potentials in the Development of Formal Housing Finance Systems

Effectively addressing the existing and continuously growing enormous demands and needs for shelter depends critically on the availability of long-term housing finance on a fairly large and sustainable scale. Policy approaches to realise this situation are still issues of continuing debate in professional circles. The central issues of focus are sustainable availability, affordability and accessibility of housing finance to households. Evidence currently indicates that a dominant proportion of housing in developing countries is accounted for by informal non-institutional sources but it has been increasingly strongly argued that development of a formal institutional housing finance system is indispensable for effectively addressing the quantitative and qualitative housing inadequacy problem. One of the most strongly canvassed strategies is for housing finance to be integrated into the larger national financial system and for its operation to be based on pure market pricing mechanisms, free of government interference. This paper attempts to identify, review and synthesise from available experiences and literature, the issues involved in this debate, having regard to the general state of institutional development and the prevailing macroeconomic (including financial) climate in most developing countries. Inferences from the review indicate that, all things considered, an informal housing financing system will remain a viable option and that, in the circumstances of developing countries, the long-term development of sustainable institutional housing finance systems requires continued discrete and prudent roles for government to establish and to enforce an effective system of rules, regulations, safeguards and supervisory functions to monitor and to prevent abuses. Some degree of support (subsidy) and incentives, albeit indirect, may even be necessary and advisable. While integration of housing finance into the national financial system and market sourcing and pricing may be the desired goals, these will be very much in the long term.

Validating A Computer Assessment of Housing for Older Adults: An Application of Design Knowledge to Promote Independent Living

The gap between gerontological design research and interior design practice that can apply this knowledge is addressed. A validation study was conducted of the Elderly Resident Housing Assessment Program (ERHAP) to test the hypothesis that a computerized artificial intelligence system is a comprehensive and reliable home evaluation tool for identifying housing inadequacies among older residents. The following research questions were asked: (1) When does the expert panel identify the same inadequacies as the computer program? (2) When does the expert panel identify inadequacies the computer program misses? (3) When does the computer program identify inadequacies that the expert panel misses?