Public Housing Research Articles

Calculating the system-wide supply impacts of social housing estate renewal: new measures and methods

Estate renewal has come to be touted as a means of improving social housing supply both qualitatively and quantitatively, replacing ageing and under-maintained dwellings and increasing the total stock of social housing. In this paper, we examine the latter claim. We develop novel measures and methods for calculating the social housing supply impacts of estate renewal, taking account of the reduction in supply caused by tenant relocations and dwelling demolitions prior to the delivery of new social housing. Using administrative data on tenant relocations and dwelling completions for three projects in Sydney, we calculate the social housing accommodation deficit caused by the renewal process, subsequently, the time required for each project to deliver more nights of accommodation than this deficit. These measures illuminate the significant impacts of estate renewal on the social housing system and problematize its justification based on gross or net social housing supply. They constitute a valuable method for examining estate renewal, wherever it may occur.

Characteristics Associated With Homebound Vaccination Against COVID-19

ObjectivesHomebound patients are older and suffer from multiple comorbidities, and many experienced difficulties getting vaccinated because of their inability to routinely leave the home due to health and function. Home-based primary care (HBPC) programs offer vaccination at home to reach this high-risk population. We evaluated an urban HBPC program's COVID-19 vaccination campaign to explore whether home-based vaccination can reduce inequity in vaccine administration or improve vaccine efforts. DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional study to examine characteristics of homebound patients who were vaccinated through an HBPC program or were vaccinated elsewhere. Setting and ParticipantsWe analyzed 795 patients enrolled in the HBPC program who were eligible for vaccination at home in 2021. MethodsWe collected vaccination data from patients, demographic data from the electronic medical record, and neighborhood-level characteristics for each patient based on census tract. ResultsHomebound patients vaccinated by HBPC were significantly more likely than homebound patients vaccinated outside of the program to have a history of dementia (P = .003), live in public housing (P < .001), have Medicaid (P = .005), be enrolled in HBPC for longer (P = .03), and live in neighborhoods with higher proportions of immigrants (P = .022), lower English proficiency (P = .007), lower computer usage (P = .001), and greater poverty (P < .001). Conclusion and ImplicationsHome-based vaccination campaigns may help lower-resourced patients get vaccinated by mitigating logistic barriers and using the influence of trusted patient-provider relationships established through HBPCs.

Public housing agencies receive $10M to protect residents

Public housing agencies receive $10M to protect residents

The effect of considering the real consumption on the assessment of the renovation of social housing buildings

Social housing is a priority within the European Union (EU) for boosting the necessary building renovation. The predicted and real consumption of buildings usually differ, and this is the Energy Performance Gap (EPG). Here, the effect the EPG has on the renovation decision-making process is analysed. The results show that a significant error in energy consumption reduction can occur if real consumption is not considered. Generally, it has been found that the average difference between considering real consumption or not is 22 percentage points. The economic perspective of the renovation is therefore influenced by the tenants’ real consumption and some renovation scenarios can become non-profitable or vice-versa. However, considering real consumption is complex and time consuming, so a simplified methodology intended for use by investors or administrators without considerable effort is proposed. This methodology has been proved to be reliable, accounts for real consumption, and allows a more accurate assessment of building renovation. Particularly, when real consumption is considered, the actual contribution of the building’s renovation regarding CO2 emissions reduction targets can be properly assessed. Finally, the improvement in the dwellings’ indoor conditions is analysed, as a key additional aspect to support the EU priority to renovate social housing.

Energy demand and air quality in social housing buildings: A novel critical review

Social housing buildings, throughout Europe, represent a consistent share of the existing building stock. Due to the increasing levels of urbanization, the social housing population in the cities has risen and, after the economic crisis following the subprime mortgage crisis and the pandemic, low-income families as well. The greatest part of social dwellings, those built in the previous century, is usually sub-standard from an energy and environmental point of view. This study reviews the existing literature documenting indoor environmental conditions and energy refurbishment interventions or programs to improve the energy efficiency of existing social buildings. By considering the high risk of energy poverty in social contexts, and the socio-economic conditions of tenants, the economic implications deriving from the energy retrofit were also evidenced. Relevant papers published between 2010 and 2024 were reviewed and were divided according to the reference scale, namely the building or the district scale. The review shows the need to improve the energy performances of social dwellings, both to reduce their energy demand and to improve the indoor microclimatic conditions and quality of life of tenants. Through a critical literature review approach, this study provides a contribution to the in-depth understanding of the role of social housing in the contemporary context, providing meaningful insights for formulating more effective and inclusive housing policies for the next future.

The onerous granting of the right to build: an alternative form of financing in the popular housing programs of the municipality of Goiânia

The City Statute (Law nº 10.257/2001) established general norms for the elaboration of the Master Plan by the Municipalities, including defining that not only the OODC, but all urban policy instruments defined therein, must follow the general guidelines of urban policy, such as the fair distribution of burdens and benefits, the recovery of government investments that result in the appreciation of urban properties and, in the specific case of Onerous Grants, that part of the amounts collected with their concession are applied in social housing programs. In this sense, the scope of the implementation of the urban instrument of the Onerous Grant of the Right to Build is discussed, based on its criticisms and distortions, in case there is a legal binding expressed in the local legislation of the percentage of collection of its revenues linked to housing programs of social interest.

Volumetric Add-On Retrofit Strategy with Multi-Benefit Approach toward Nearly Zero Energy Buildings Target

Around 35% of the total housing stock of the European Union is more than half a century old. The shortage of funds for new construction, combined with rapidly changing economic, social, and technological factors, has led to significant obsolescence. Additionally, this situation makes it difficult to satisfy the owners’ energy, functional, and socio-economic needs. This research aims to develop an innovative retrofit approach that brings multiple benefits to assessing retrofit designs for social housing, with specific emphasis on volumetric envelope additions toward the nearly zero energy buildings target (nZEBs). To achieve the purpose of this study, the research through design methodology was chosen. The research methodology consisted of two phases: design and simulation. First, the design phase focused on re-designing and retrofitting social housing to address various aspects of the functional requirements in developing rational solutions. Second, the simulation phase focused on computational modeling and analysis of energy performance to assess the nZEBs target. The results show that the use of high-efficiency Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and improved material envelopes cut electricity consumption use by 43% and primary energy use by 40% compared to the base case. Photovoltaics (PV) production can meet the total electricity demand for six months. This approach can encourage residents and tenants to actively participate in the retrofit process and increase the real estate value of buildings through improvements in energy efficiency and housing function.

Genetic diversity of 1,845 rhesus macaques improves genetic variation interpretation and identifies disease models

Understanding and treating human diseases require valid animal models. Leveraging the genetic diversity in rhesus macaque populations across eight primate centers in the United States, we conduct targeted-sequencing on 1845 individuals for 374 genes linked to inherited human retinal and neurodevelopmental diseases. We identify over 47,000 single nucleotide variants, a substantial proportion of which are shared with human populations. By combining rhesus and human allele frequencies with established variant prediction methods, we develop a machine learning-based score that outperforms established methods in predicting missense variant pathogenicity. Remarkably, we find a marked number of loss-of-function variants and putative deleterious variants, which may lead to the development of rhesus disease models. Through phenotyping of macaques carrying a pathogenic OPA1:p.A8S variant, we identify a genetic model of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Finally, we present a public website housing variant and genotype data from over two thousand rhesus macaques.

Improvements in habitability and housing satisfaction after dwelling regeneration in social housing complexes. The RUCAS study

Housing is a pressing problem worldwide and a key determinant of health and wellbeing. The right to adequate housing, as a pillar of the right to an adequate standard of living, means more than a roof to live under. Adequate means the dwelling must fulfill material functions and psychosocial functions, thus contributing to dwellers health and wellbeing. Social housing policies aim to fulfill the right to housing, but frequently fail in fulfilling the right to it being adequate.This study capitalizes on the implementation of a national urban regeneration program in two social housing villas in central Chile (one in Santiago, in the central valley, the other in Viña del Mar, a coastal city) to run a natural experiment assessing the impact of dwelling renovation on several dimensions of perceived habitability and housing satisfaction among the -mostly female-household homemakers.We use 5 waves of survey data collected with a step-wedge design to estimate the association between a time-varying exposure status (the intervention) and 7 binary outcomes for habitability and 5 for housing dissatisfaction, including overall housing satisfaction. We use Poisson regression models with robust variance and a random intercept at the respondent level. At baseline, reports of poor habitability and dissatisfaction across all features were markedly high, the highest levels of dissatisfaction being with acoustic insulation and dwelling size in both villas, and with indoor temperature in Santiago. The intervention resulted in statistically significant and markedly large improvements in reported habitability and dissatisfaction relative to those housing components targeted by the intervention, as well as with overall dwelling satisfaction in both study cases.Implications are, first, that the policy response to quantitative housing deficits must not overlook housing quality; second, that housing renovation appears as a promising intervention for qualitative housing crises; third, that while improvements in habitability and satisfaction are specific to the interventions in place, overall housing satisfaction can improve in more limited, tailored, dwelling renovation interventions. Social housing renovation in Latin America appears as a promising intervention to improve quality of life among the urban poor dwellers and reduce inequalities in health related to housing conditions.

Effects of Sensory Environment and Playfulness on Cognitive Health Among Older Adults in Singapore Public Housing: Findings from Path Analysis

This study explores the association of “Sensory Environment” and “Playfulness” with Depression and Cognition (SEPDC) among older adults living in high-density public housing neighborhoods in Singapore. The research conducted cross-sectional surveys with 400 adults aged 55 and above living in 20 such neighborhoods. Path analyses suggest that sensory environment (multi-sensory richness of a place and its capacity to engage) and playfulness (personality trait that enables rendering situations as playful) are associated with reduced depressive symptoms, memory problems, and loneliness in older adults, mediated by the increased “neighborhood cohesion” and sense of “at-homeness.” Hence, sensory environment and playfulness are critical for healthful aging in place and should be considered carefully for better design and planning of aging-friendly housing neighborhoods.

Hybrid working – Benefits and challenges for productivity and performance

PurposeWe explore the benefits and challenges for organisations using hybrid working practices post-pandemic. We focus upon the non-profit English social housing sector; however, this research is relevant to any organisation adopting hybrid working practices. The implications for productivity and performance management of hybrid practices are currently not well understood.Design/methodology/approachWithin this Reflective Practice work, we apply a dual-theoretic lens to a new Ways of Working tool and adopt a mixed methods approach. First scoping interviews were conducted with senior managers possessing strategic knowledge of their organisations’ approaches to hybrid working. Secondly, a large-scale survey was administered to evaluate employees’ perceptions of hybrid working, including their concerns for future impacts.FindingsOur data identify several benefits and challenges associated with hybrid working. Reclaimed commuting time was deemed a positive benefit, alongside greater personal time, work-life balance and (for the majority) less-interrupted workspace. Challenges were identified regarding the transparency of staff reward and recognition, the potential for masked burnout and purposeful team communication.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the unique context of the pandemic and widespread, but sudden adoption of home- and hybrid working, this study can be taken as a snapshot in time as organisations recalibrate the consequences of new ways of working.Originality/valueDespite hybrid working having been possible for decades, many articles describe typical benefits (e.g. less commuting time) and challenges (e.g. organisational culture) without fully understanding productivity and performance implications. To explore this, we extend Palvalin et al.’s (2015) Tool by establishing a theoretical foundation through the conservation of resources theory and practice theory.

Research on green assessment method for prefabricated buildings

In view of the problem that the current evaluation of prefabricated buildings in China focuses more on the ‘assembly rate’, this paper puts forward a green assessment method suitable for prefabricated buildings in China, which determines the evaluation index system according to four aspects: green design, intelligent construction, assembled building quality and comprehensive benefit. In addition, the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory method is used to optimise the index weight, and then the analytic hierarchy process–entropy weight method is used to determine the weight of the index system, and the evaluation index set is quantified and graded. Finally, taking the Hutuo Village public rental housing project in Xi’an City of Shaanxi Province as an example, this paper uses the evaluation method to conduct a green assessment and gives suggestions for improvement in each stage of the project.

Redefining active mobility from spatial to social in Singapore

IntroductionWalking is an active mobility option with health and social benefits. Many cities including Singapore are expanding pedestrian infrastructure and creating walkable neighbourhoods. But the connection of neighbourhood walkability and walking behaviour among residents, especially older adults remains less examined. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between everyday walking behaviours and neighbourhood design characteristics. MethodsUtilising generative focus group discussions with 12 participants, including older adults, this exploratory research collected personal and collective stories on residents' walks around Singapore's high-rise, high-density public housing neighbourhoods of Tampines Town, including their attitudes, aversions, and aspects of environmental barriers and enablers for walking. ResultsAll 12 participants had walked in their neighbourhoods during the 7 days preceding the focus group discussion. A key motivation for walking in the neighbourhood was everyday life activities and needs, such as to get out of the house, walking for food, groceries, work, exercise, and health, reinforcing the pivotal role of these opportunities in residents’ active mobility life space and the availability and accessibility to these local facilities. Drawing on their everyday lived experiences, participants shared their conception of walkable neighbourhood, the adequacy of neighbourhood places for walking, the environmental barriers and enablers. Older participants spoke about walkable environments helping them to reach essential destinations safely every day and contributing to not only their physical health but also social and mental health (through contact with nature and interaction with neighbours and others within the neighbourhood). Where they would walk is often influenced by their perception of the place, sense of safety, and the presence/absence of services. ConclusionsThe findings lend local priorities for walkable neighbourhoods based on what residents think and blending social consensus. The policy implication is a need to consider both place enhancement and people's experience, including experiential micro-social and psychological aspects and their interlinkages when designing inclusive walkable neighbourhood.

Reassembling Marseille’s mosaic: urban planning in service of a post-World War II imagined identity

ABSTRACT Socio-spatial divisions between districts in the North and South have marked the port-city of Marseille since the post-World War II urban reconstruction period. This article analyses the decades spanning the 1940s to the 1960s Vieux Port area as well as the HLM (Habitation à Loyer Modéré, or rent controlled properties) building projects in the North of the city. This reveals a dual strategy deployed by urban planners as well as municipal and national government officials in response to an increasing immigrant workforce involving relocation into HLMs and (re-)designing public spaces. City planners, architects, and officials aimed to reconfigure the neighbourhoods in which people were to be housed and to strengthen the narrative of Marseille as a Mediterranean gateway, attracting investors and tourists, a process which also helped the city to gain a favourable reputation in Europe. The way in which urban planning, social housing initiatives, and public space designs unfolded in post-World War II Marseille has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s present-day social and geographical divisions.

Addressing urban social and spatial stratification: testing the potential for integration of public housing

The legacy of public housing in the American city is dominated by a condition of social and spatial stratification. In New York City, inadequate funding exacerbates the conditions of isolated public housing residents, raising questions about the stability and sustainability of public housing. At a time when a severe housing crisis is impacting on the affordability of and access to urban housing generally, addressing this legacy of public housing can be the impetus for a long-term vision that integrates public housing into the fabric of the city, providing new housing options for public housing residents while merging them into mixed-income neighbourhoods with redefined public spaces and increased services and amenities. This approach to a long-term vision, built around high-density mid-rise development, contrasts with the incremental approach currently expedient due to the social and political climate surrounding public housing. However, current resistance to an aggressive strategy belies another part of the legacy of public housing: the major demolition of city streets and blocks that made possible the anti-urban planning that undergirds this isolation and stratification. Empirical evidence supports urban design that builds on the nineteenth-century city’s urban form of small blocks and active streets as the foundation for vital urban neighbourhoods. This study of the political and urban design efforts to address the severe challenges facing public housing tests the potential for a path, when the political and social climate allows, for an aggressive strategy to preserve public housing that centres on social and spatial integration.

The Kickstart Drama project: performing ‘small’ acts of solidarity in Singapore

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on a group of young people in Singapore connected by the love for their communities and their desire to use drama for social change. In particular, we investigate how a participatory arts-based approach can enable young people to reflect on the importance of solidarity. We draw on Freire’s pedagogy of solidarity, arguing for the importance of ‘small’ acts of solidarity that foreground the experiences of systematically excluded communities, such as young people living in social housing. Understanding this experience of solidarity and activism is particularly important in a country like Singapore, where civic and political participation is highly circumscribed.

Bringing in the third pillar: protective legislation and the welfare state

ABSTRACT Welfare state research over the past five decades has largely focused on two broad social policy pillars: (1) arrays of income programmes, such as social assistance, unemployment insurance, family allowances and pensions, and (2) a range of social services, including childcare, healthcare, social housing and education. However, an important cluster of policy measures, constituting a third policy pillar, has been largely neglected in the cross-national welfare state research to date, protective legislation. It comprises the networks of protective and regulatory laws and constitutional rights emplaced to secure and promote our welfare. Central to all social policy areas, these measures, including rent control policies, workplace health and safety laws, legislation preventing discrimination against people with disabilities and child corporal punishment bans, are distinct from laws that determine access to income programmes and social services or set out the terms of their provision. Rather, they constitute a standalone third category of policy measures, are key components of all welfare states and, depending upon how they are actualised, can be just as central to our well-being and the promotion of our welfare. They can also have compounding or synergistic interactions with policies in the other two policy pillars.

Key modifiable risk factors for self-medication among university students: An observational study

BackgroundSelf-medication among university students is becoming a health concern, especially during examinations and stress. This pattern of medication use among students could lead to adverse health consequences if it is not addressed and tackled. Thus, this study investigated the most associated factors with this practice among students. MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Northern Borders Province, Saudi Arabia. A total of 220 students were selected and took part in the survey. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The survey was distributed among participants to answer five sections: demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status problems, satisfaction with academic performance, and self-medication questions. The content validity was tested using a pilot sample of 30 students. The descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Science program. ResultsIn the present sample of university students, the response rate was 100%. Approximately one-third reported using medications without prescriptions, and 83% of them have used medications three times at most during the past 12 months. Headache was the most common reason for use (59%), followed by fever (20%). Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that students who were 21–24 years of age (OR = 3.79, 95% CI = 1.21–11.82), female (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.03–5.72), and living alone in private housing (OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.32–9.90) were at high risk of self-medication as compared to their counterparts. However, students in the last years of college (fourth (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03–0.62), fifth (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.05–0.95), sixth (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01–0.35)) were at lower risk as compared to their counterparts. ConclusionThe study found that self-medication was common among university students, with higher rates among those who were 21–24 years old, female, and living alone in private housing, but lower rates among students in the later years of college. Educational programs and awareness campaigns should target students who are at higher risk of practicing self-medication to avoid misuse of over-the-counter medications.

Evaluating Thermal Comfort and Overheating Risks in A Social Housing Prototype: As Built Versus Retrofit Scenarios

Climate change has highlighted the importance of thermal comfort and its health-related outcomes, particularly for the most vulnerable members of society living in social housing. Due to their vulnerable living conditions, low-income people are more exposed to negative outcomes of overheating and cold indoor temperatures in buildings. Previous studies suggest that there is a significant risk of overheating in retrofitted buildings both for the current and future weather scenarios. The UK government has introduced new building regulations to assess and limit the risk of overheating in new buildings; however, there is still a need to assess and improve conditions for existing and retrofitted properties. This study aims to evaluate the effect of retrofit strategies on thermal comfort and the risk of overheating in social housing under current and future climatic conditions. A typical case study building was simulated in DesignBuilder to assess thermal comfort conditions for upgraded building fabric to Part L of the UK building regulations and Passive House standards. The summer results were analyzed according to CIBSE TM59 while the Predicted Mean Vote index (PMV) was used for winter analysis. Findings revealed that the south-facing bedrooms are most exposed to overheating. Risk of overheating significantly increased for the future weather scenarios by up to 10 times while winter thermal comfort improved for the retrofitted scenarios.

Profitability in Public Housing Companies: A Longitudinal and Regional Analysis Using Swedish Panel Data

Public Housing Companies (PHCs) play an important role in the Swedish housing market, with approximately 300 companies managing circa 802,000 dwellings. The public housing sector thereby represents almost 20 percent of the total housing stock in Sweden and half of the apartments that are available for rental. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the most important factors behind the profitability in Swedish PHCs between 2010 and 2019. The effects of internal growth, age, and capital structure in the PHCs are analyzed together with the effect of the growth of the local market, as well as local rent levels. Financial information for circa 300 PHCs in Sweden was gathered from annual reports published between 2010 to 2019. The financial information was analyzed using panel data analysis methods with several explanatory variables to explain the financial performance of the PHCs. The results from the analysis indicate a highly significant and positive relationship between the annual change in population, age, and profitability in the PHC. A highly significant and negative relationship was found between the PHC internal growth, capital structure, and profitability. The results showed no significant relationship between changes in income, rent levels, and profitability in Swedish PHC.