Public Housing Research Articles

Water and energy deprivation: Addressing the problem of essential utility services poverty in Mayotte

Among the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 are ensuring “availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation” and “access to modern energy sources”. One problem for Mahorais households is access to safe, clean and affordable essential utility services, such as electricity, water and sewerage. Moreover, Mayotte, a French oversea department, is experiencing an unprecedented drought. The island, which is sinking into a severe water crisis, has been depriving its inhabitants of running water two days out of three since the beginning of September 2023. We define a new concept of utility services poverty (basic utility services deprivation) based on the theoretical capabilities framework of Sen and Nussbaum. Using a latent class model, we identify households that are poor in utility services and characterize four household profiles. One main advantage of this methodology is replicability in many Low and Middle Income Countries’ (LMICs). We demonstrate that access to water is more discriminatory than access to electricity in Mayotte. The top priority in fighting utility services poverty should be access to water and sanitary facilities. Public policies should be implemented not according to income but to facilitate water and energy access and improve basic hygiene conditions notably through social housing.

Positive reinforcement-based magnet training permits social housing in catheterized squirrel monkeys

BackgroundNon-human primates play a critical role in neuroscience research. Though they are social animals, laboratory study requirements can sometimes require single housing and thereby prevent social housing. New MethodTo eliminate single housing and promote well-being within our squirrel monkey colony, we used positive reinforcement training in combination with magnetic/mechanical clasps and custom jackets to permit pair housing of catheterized squirrel monkeys used in behavioral studies. ResultsAdult Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis monkeys (n = 7) readily progressed through a six-stage training procedure for cooperative handling and transport from the home cage to the experimental testing rooms.Comparison with existing methods and conclusions: Given the evidence of isolation induced stress and neurobiological consequences in multiple species, and consistent with an increased regulatory emphasis on social housing of non-human primates, the methods presented herein provide a method for handling squirrel monkeys in behavioral studies that is compatible with social housing.

Restorative and regenerative green spaces for vulnerable communities in social housing: The impact of a community greening program

Vulnerable communities represent the most at-risk populations facing inequities and negative health, economic and social wellbeing outcomes. Community gardening has emerged globally as a community-based remedy to reduce these inequities and enhance wellbeing. This paper examines the psychological, socio-cultural and health impact of social housing design that includes access to, and engagement with green spaces. The project was multi-disciplinary and used mixed-method research to examine the impact of community gardening for people in social housing. Two interrelated studies were conducted; study 1 involved 33 social housing gardeners in a pre-post program survey. Statistically significant improvements were found in participants' satisfaction with personal wellbeing, health, and community connectedness; as well as increased gardening skills, positive social experiences, and time spent in nature. Study 2 involved 34 semi-structured interviews conducted with program facilitators and partner organisation staff. Results uncovered that participant's engagement with gardening was restorative and regenerative. Four salient themes emerged from our mixed methods study: 1) connection to self; 2) connection to others, 3) connection to place; and 4) connection to purpose. The findings showcase some of the key principles of a successful social and nature prescription intervention for vulnerable people. Community gardening was shown to amplify civic pride and bolster community resilience. Our research suggests the broad impact of community gardening on participant outcomes for vulnerable populations and enhances the capacity of practitioners to translate research into policy and practice for sustainable, restorative residential communities.

Use of tobacco price-minimization strategies among public housing residents compared to U.S. low-income adults

BackgroundPrice minimization strategies (PMS) are ways for people to save money on tobacco purchases especially among those of lower socioeconomic status. This study assesses PMS and coupon receipt among public housing residents compared to U.S. low-income adults. MethodsData were from adults who currently use tobacco and live in District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) public housing (n=270) and a US nationally representative sample of low-income adults who currently use tobacco (n=820). We examined the prevalence of PMS use across demographic characteristics and smoking behaviors, and qualitatively compared them across the two datasets. ResultsMost DCHA resident participants (84.2 %) and US low-income adults who currently use tobacco (91.5 %) recently used at least one PMS to save money on tobacco. The top-three most common strategies among DCHA residents were saving cigarettes to finish later (35.6 %), smoking fewer cigarettes (32.2 %), and finding cheaper places to buy cigarettes (30.4 %), while among U.S. low-income adults these strategies were using coupons or promotions (62.7 %), purchasing by bulk (55.5 %), and finding cheaper places to buy tobacco products (53.6 %). People who lightly smoke in DCHA were more likely than people who heavily smoke to use PMS in general (25.0 % vs. 13.7 %) and smoke fewer cigarettes to save money (35.8 % vs. 19.2 %). US low-income people who lightly smoke were more likely than people who heavily smoke to cut back on tobacco use (61.9 % vs. 39.8 %). ConclusionMost U.S. low-income individuals and DCHA residents who smoke engaged in PMS. Regulating these strategies while supporting tobacco use cessation may reduce the impact of tobacco in these populations.

“Stop AIDS Evictions!”

The early AIDS epidemic in New York City revealed the intersection of two long-term crises impacting gay and lesbian tenants in the city: a critical lack of affordable housing and homophobic discrimination in private and public housing provision. People with AIDS and their family members faced tenant harassment, eviction, and structural homophobia in New York State's rent regulations. This article's microhistory of the eviction of Michael Brown, a rent-regulated tenant in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood, highlights how activists brought knowledge acquired in the traditional tenant movement into new gay and lesbian organizations. This collaboration was a result of Chelsea's history as a center of both militant tenant organizing and neighborhood-based gay and lesbian activism. In Chelsea, gay and lesbian residents joined the housing movement as low-income tenants, while also participating in neighborhood activism reflecting their concerns as gay and lesbian residents. Michael Brown's eviction case brought these two local organizing traditions into direct collaboration. This article builds on scholarship revealing the political agency of tenants and recent literature on housing and care during the AIDS epidemic by situating gay and lesbian advocacy for housing during the early AIDS crisis within a long trajectory of New York City tenant activism.

The Effects of Policy-Interested Bureaucrats on State and Local Policymaking

From 1971 to 2023, 19 states, 24 counties, and 105 cities passed Source-of-Income Anti-Discrimination (SOI) laws, outlawing landlord discrimination against tenants receiving rental assistance. I present a theory of bureaucratic involvement in state and local policymaking, arguing that policy-interested local bureaucratic agencies—signaled by participation in a national membership organization—elevate mission-relevant policy problem definitions to the legislative agenda and motivate the passage of legislation. I present results from a Cox Proportional Hazards Model which demonstrates that SOI laws are significantly more likely to be enacted in cities, counties, and states associated with a public agency which is a member of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, even compared to jurisdictions associated with non-member Public Housing Authorities of similar sizes.

Reaching the unreachable through action research? Thomas Mathiesen and the Nordic socio-legal tradition

Thomas Mathiesen has been a source of inspiration for research in critical sociology, criminology, and the sociology of law for many decades. Mathiesen’s impact extends far beyond the academic realm, as his action research lives on. This intervention discusses the ongoing influence of Mathiesen’s action research approach, which integrates research, education, and societal impact. This is illustrated through an action research project we conducted in Denmark’s largest marginalised living area, where over 1,000 public housing units are being demolished, affecting approximately 2,500 residents. In the project, we experimented with different outreach legal aid approaches, considering our own positionalities, to gain knowledge about how to establish a legal aid infrastructure that could reach the unreachable. An ethical dilemma we faced was how we could engage with the people without inadvertently naming issues, particularly legal problems, of which they might not be aware. If the residents were unaware of these issues or did not consider them important, could we then inadvertently create and juridify new problems for them? Moreover, this intervention discusses how, in alignment with Mathiesen, we combined legal aid with legal clinical education, that is, training law students to become legal aid workers. We conclude that Mathiesen’s approach remains relevant, and by integrating his action research with decolonial thoughts, new insights may emerge to reach the seemingly unreachable.

Environmental and energy analysis of the renovation of social housing buildings under various climate change scenarios and user profiles

The renovation of social housing buildings, a priority for the European Union, must be assessed under a Climate Change (CC) context. This work, centred on the user and the environmental impact, analyses the climate resilience of the renovation of the social housing building stock of the Basque Country, located in Northern Spain. In this region, characterised by cold winters and mild summers, CC projections indicate a moderate warming even in the worst-case scenario. The assessment of passive renovation actions indicates that reducing heating demand is key no matter the CC scenario. The reduction achieved in heating demand with deep passive renovations is up to 82.2 % when the worst CC scenario is considered. Indeed, since low-income tenants occupy these buildings, it has been found that global warming would help users achieve indoor standard conditions in a more effective way than with passive renovation actions. Consequently, to improve indoor conditions independently of the CC scenario, active renovation measures must also be considered. Furthermore, the thermal comfort analysis proved that the risk of overheating in this region is negligible, with less than 4 % of the yearly hours above 26 °C. Finally, the Life Cycle Impact Assessment shows that the environmental impact of the renovation is short when compared to the impact of the operational stage. The use of conventional or ecological materials during renovation would save up to 6.5 % of Non-Renewable Primary Energy Consumption and 3.7 % of CO2 emissions during the life-cycle of the building.

Gendered Contexts? The Effect of Neighbourhood Socio‐Economic Deprivation on Girls' and Boys' Cognitive and Non‐Cognitive Development

ABSTRACTDoes socio‐economic deprivation of adolescents' residential neighbourhoods affect their cognitive and non‐cognitive development? Leveraging data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) in the UK, this study investigates this question focusing on gender differences. By exploiting the quasi‐exogenous social housing allocation procedures in the UK, I aim to limit issues related to the endogeneity of neighbourhood selection. Results show that living in more deprived areas has overall a negative effect on cognitive and non‐cognitive development. However, neighbourhood deprivation negatively affects girls', as compared to boys', cognitive skills, academic motivation and employability skills, while no significant gender difference is detected for problem behaviour. On the one hand, these findings highlight the importance of taking gender into account in neighbourhood studies and, on the other hand, they suggest that the availability of support within the local area and the quality of institutions should be considered as relevant theoretical mechanisms to understand the role of neighbourhoods on different spheres of adolescent development.

Refinements in Clinical and Behavioral Management for Macaques on Infectious Disease Protocols.

Providing optimal clinical and behavioral care is a key component of promoting animal welfare for macaques and other nonhuman primates (NHPs) in research. This overlap between critical areas of management is particularly important for NHPs on infectious disease protocols, which often have unique challenges. For example, traditionally these NHPs were often housed alone, which can have behavioral and clinical consequences. However, in the past decade or so, considerable effort has been directed at modifying procedures in an effort to improve animal welfare for this group of NHPs. In this review, we examine some refinements that can positively impact the clinical and behavioral management of macaques on infectious disease studies, including increased social housing and the use of positive reinforcement techniques to train animals to cooperate with procedures such as daily injections or awake blood draws. We also discuss ways to facilitate the implementation of these refinements, as well as to identify logistical considerations for their implementation. Finally, we look to the future and consider what more we can do to improve the welfare of these animals.

서울시 청년 1인 가구를 위한‘상담 멘토링’프로그램 분석 및 개선방안 연구

Perhaps the biggest change that has occurred in Korean society recently is the increase in single-person households.In line with the trend of increasing single-person households, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has introduced and is carrying out a counseling mentoring program for single-person households from 2021.However, the discussion on the effectiveness of this program has not yet been fully conducted. Accordingly, in this study, telephone and written interviews were conducted centering on practitioners conducting counseling mentoring, and based on the contents, the program was analyzed and limitations and improvement plans were proposed from various angles. The study was conducted from late October to mid-November 2022 with an FGI interview with a person in charge who runs a single-person household counseling mentoring program. Ten Metropolitan boroughs were selected by adding 7 administrative officers who operated the counseling mentoring program and 3 administrative officers who did not operate counseling mentoring. If a counseling program for emotional support is introduced in a residential space using social housing, one of the housing services for single-person households, it is expected that community activities to be formed in social housing can be supported, and at the same time, intimacy with the current area and residential space will increase, leading to a sense of psychological stability. This study is meaningful as it proposes a highly effective counseling program tailored to the characteristics of Seoul.

Between Tradition and Modernity: The Sociospatial Dynamics of Japanese Residential Architecture from Pre-War to Present

This research examines the evolution of Japanese residential architecture throughout the 20th century, focusing on the transformation of house plans in response to changing societal needs. This study specifically examines how traditional spatial configurations adapted to urbanization, modernisation, and shifts in the family structure. By analysing house plans across three distinct periods—the pre-war and post-Kanto earthquake period, the post-war period, and the post-oil shock period to the present—this research illustrates the transition from detached houses to modern collective housing. Utilising a space syntax methodology, this research quantitatively analyses threshold spaces, circulation, and family gathering spaces to understand their social and architectural implications. Historical analyses are paired with a network analysis of selected house plans, highlighting the persistent significance of traditional elements such as the doma (vestibule) and the en-gawa (verandah) in contemporary designs. The findings demonstrate a significant reduction in the size and complexity of living spaces over time, reflecting broader trends towards efficiency and modernisation in public housing. This research contributes to architectural scholarship by providing a detailed account of how Japanese customary spaces have been reconfigured to accommodate evolving lifestyles, offering insights into the balance between tradition and modern living.

The Effect of IFMIS Symbolic Adoption on Post-Acceptance Use Behavior: Moderated Analysis

Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) is a a significant milestone in a country's budget reform agenda. The government of Indonesia has launched an IFMIS for work unit level called Sistem Aplikasi Keuangan Tingkat Instansi (SAKTI) in 2022. This research seeks to test the effect of TAM determinants on symbolic adoption and subsequent post-acceptance usage behaviour with individual absorptive capacity as moderator. This research is quantitative research, using PLS-SEM disjoint two-stage approach to assess symbolic adoption, a higher order construct consisting of four dimensions. 93 samples from ministry of public works and housing are analysed and found that both TAM determinants have a positive impact on symbolic adoption and symbolic adoption positively affect post-acceptance use behaviour. Individual absorptive capacity enhances the impact of symbolic adoption on explorative use, but does not moderate the effect on extended use. This research contributes to the field of symbolic adoption by demonstrating how individual absorptive capacity can shape the relationship between symbolic adoption and post-acceptance usage behaviour.

Housing and Papering Over the Cracks of the Welfare State: Exploring the Role and Impact of Technology as Part of Housing Service Provision in an Era of Multi-level Precarity

The UK welfare landscape is increasingly challenging due to ongoing austerity involving public sector cuts, service retrenchment, and withdrawal of statutory responsibilities. This article shows that as the welfare state contracts, precarity increases and responsibility for service provision is progressively devolved to front-line individuals and service users. To illustrate, the article examines the use of assistive and everyday technologies to improve social housing residents’ quality of life based on a longitudinal mixed methods study conducted between 2020 and 2022. The findings highlight how housing providers can support person-led technology interventions for older residents, where minor improvements positively impact day-to-day living. However, interventions are often limited by practicalities, capacity, and cost. This article connects technological engagement in housing to the ongoing ‘responsibilisation’ of many areas of housing provision to social landlords and tenants. This suggests an extension of responsibility where social housing providers are papering over the cracks in the welfare state.

Analysing Indoor Air Pollution: A Study on Pollutant Levels and Air Quality Assessment in Social Housing Properties

Amid growing concerns over Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of pollutants to assess the environmental health in a few Case Study Buildings (CSBs). The main objectives were to evaluate the levels of key Indoor Air Pollutants (IAPs) (PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, TVOCs) and relative humidity across multiple social housing properties and to analyze how occupant behaviormay affect IAQ. Utilizing quantitative measurements, the study investigates the range and exposure of the building occupants to IAPs. The methodology involves the systematic measurement of IAPs through the installation of data loggers, focusing on pollutant levels to evaluate air quality across multiple CSBs. Findings show fluctuation in pollutant levels, with some IAPs demonstrating consistently within the acceptable range while others exhibit sporadic spikes in pollutant concentrations. The results indicate that significant attention should be given to PM10, CO, and VOCs. This study underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and targeted interventions to mitigate poor IAQ and ensure healthier indoor environments for building occupants. Further research and implementation of effective measures are imperative to safeguard public health and well-being.

THE URBAN EVOLUTION OUAD EL HAD: FROM A MINOR URBAN EXTENSION TO AN INFAMOUS AND ILLICIT NEIGHBORHOOD

Informal housing represents a complex phenomenon with far-reaching implications for urban development and social equity, it is characterized by its spontaneous and unauthorized nature, it has emerged as a significant phenomenon in urban areas worldwide and usually arises a multitude of socio-economic challenges such as rapid urbanization, poverty, and as in our case, rural migration, Therefore, understanding the spatial evolution of informal settlements is crucial for designing more equitable and sustainable living environments. That was the case of “Ouad El Had”, a neighborhood that may be considered as one of the focal points in metropolis of Constantine, informal housing started as an extension, an illicit urbanization due to rural-to-urban migration led to the perpetuation of informal settlements on what was in that time the outskirts of city, Nowadays, housing shortages caused the proliferation of informal settlements, those settlements presented a chance to obtain a house in the social housing program given by the government leading it to get repopulated every time and after several attempts to evacuate the entire zone starting from 2012 to this actual day. Our paper offers an in-depth analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution to the informal housing situated in the neighborhood “Cité des Fréres Abbas” (Ouad El Had) and its evolution within urban and social contexts with the objective of understanding the complex case of this neighborhood that led to its repopulation after every evacuation or displacement and identifying the urban model generated of during this process.

An architectural design framework to promote healthy indoor-outdoor connections in Arctic housing

This research proposes biophilic intermediate spaces as a promising architectural solution to improve indoor-outdoor connections, occupant well-being, and energy efficiency in Arctic housing. Basic examples of intermediate spaces in Arctic housing models include porches and vestibules. However, the architecture of these spaces has not yet been optimized to adress extreme climatic conditions and occupants’ needs. Therefore, this research develops an architectural design framework to optimize the architecture of intermediate spaces for Arctic housing to meet occupants’ well-being needs and improve housing energy efficiency. The research methodology combines an archetypal approach, exploratory case study analysis, and scoping literature review. The archetypal study examines the historical development of Canadian Arctic housing models in Nunavut, revealing the typological evolution, features, potentials, and deficiencies of intermediate spaces in the Arctic. The study identifies of the main design variables and performance indicators of intermediate spaces corresponding to healthy and positive indoor-outdoor connections, thermal and visual comfort, and energy efficiency. A conceptual model of an intermediate space is then simulated as an exploratory case study for a public Canadian Arctic residential building. The architectural design framework is established based on findings from the literature, archetypal studies of Arctic housing, and simulation results of an integrated model for an intermediate space and a public Arctic housing model in Nunavut. The proposed framework includes main architectural variables such as physical adjacency, material, orientation, space depth, and transparency ratio which impact thermal, lighting, and energy performance. This design framework can serve as a reference for creating policies and decision-making processes that integrate biophilic intermediate spaces with Arctic building practices, contributing to Canada's strategic plan for energy efficiency and vegetable production in the Arctic.

Appliance utility in low-income housing: On the relation between socio-economic characteristics, thermal comfort and appliance usage pattern

This study examines the effect of behavioural aspects, dwelling characteristics, and socio-economic drivers, particularly cooling appliance usage patterns, on perceived thermal comfort and further estimates the utility of using different household appliances within low-income archetypes of Mumbai, India. Field-survey-derived 625 samples were drawn from slums and rehab housing and empirically examined using the Ordinal Logistic Regression and Fractional Multinomial Logit models. The results reveal a significant influence of household income and occupant behaviour on thermal satisfaction. Income is a significant barrier to the adoption and usage of thermal appliances. Residents in social housing drive higher utility from operating refrigerators and TVs than washing machines. Low-income quartiles, however, reveal a higher utility from using iron. A positive correlation exists between the proportion of working individuals and appliance usage like washing machine, refrigerator and iron. Surprisingly, larger households are less likely to use exhaust. Considerable heterogeneity thus exists in thermal comfort and appliance usage behaviour and derived energy services in the studied area. This research sheds light on the critical role of income and socio-cultural factors in shaping thermal comfort perceptions and appliance usage patterns. The findings have implications for policy interventions aimed at improving energy efficiency, indoor comfort, and access to essential appliances in low-income communities of developing nations.

Housing Insecurity and Older Adults' Health and Well-Being in a Gentrifying City: Results from the EPIPorto Cohort Study.

Using 2022 data from 600 adults (≥ 60years) in Porto, Portugal, we explored the association between housing insecurity and various health outcomes. We examined housing conditions, affordability, and stability in relation to loneliness, quality of life, cognitive function, perception of healthy ageing, and sleep using regression models. Older adults without house heating (β = 2.293; 95%CI = 0.753, 3.833), with leaks/dampness/rot (β = 3.741; 1.818, 5.664), insufficient daylight (β = 2.787; 0.095, 5.479), living in neighborhoods with noise (β = 1.793, 0.280 to 3.305), pollution/grime (β = 2.580; 0.746, 4.414), and violence/crime/vandalism (β = 3.940; 1.723, 6.157), who faced housing cost overburden (β = 2.001; 0.426, 3.577), eviction (β = 12.651; 0.852, 24.450), and moved frequently (β = 4.129; 1.542, 6.716) exhibited higher levels of loneliness. Similarly, lack of house heating (β = - 1.942; - 3.438, - 0.445), leaks/dampness/rot (β = - 4.157; - 5.999, - 2.316), insufficient daylight (β = - 3.124; - 5.714, - 0.534), noise (β = - 2.143; - 3.600, - 0.686), pollution/grime (β= - 2.093; - 3.860, - 0.325), violence/crime/vandalism (β= - 2.819; - 4.948, - 0.691), and those with housing cost overburden (β= - 2.435; - 3.930, - 0.940) reported lower quality of life.Those with no toilet (β = - 1.891; - 3.760, - 0.021) or shower (β = - 1.891; - 3.760, - 0.021) and who faced forced displacement (β = - 2.179; - 3.516, - 0.842) presented lower cognitive function. Furthermore, those living in neighborhoods with pollution/grime (OR = 0.494; 0.322, 0.756) and violence/crime/vandalism (OR = 0.477; 0.284, 0.801), those in social housing (OR = 0.728; 0.575, 0.922), and those who moved frequently (OR = 0.475; 0.257, 0.879) reported lower levels of perceived healthy ageing. Insufficient sleep was more common among residents in social housing (OR = 2.155; 1.102, 4.213), while poor sleep quality was least likely both among those living in social housing (OR = 0.445; 0.220, 0.900) and affordable housing (OR = 0.381; 0.162, 0.896). Good quality, stable, and affordable housing seems crucial for healthy ageing.

Pedagogical boundary work: when the welfare state becomes entangled with family affairs

ABSTRACT In recent years, early interventions concerning children living in social housing areas have received increased political attention, resulting in a range of pedagogical strategies for identifying children and families at risk within Danish daycare institutions. Drawing on empirical material from a recent research project that was carried out in four Danish daycare centers, this article explores pedagogical work that moves beyond the physical and social boundaries of the daycare center and enters family life. Thus, Pedagogues do not solely focus on children’s learning and development, but also on the conditions that promote the well-being of both children and their families. When pedagogues support families in their conduct of everyday life, the welfare state is enacted in and through its relations, both in everyday life and across the division between private and public. The state becomes an ‘intimate state’, resulting in blurred lines and ‘in-between’ positions, as well as new action possibilities and risks for both parents and pedagogues.