Social Housing Areas Research Articles

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.

Structural changes in a Danish social housing area: The impact of forced permanent rehousing on contact frequency with general practitioner and use of antidepressants

There is a lack of knowledge about the health consequences of politically initiated forced permanent rehousing (FPR) of residents in social housing areas. This study investigates if FPR is associated with the contact frequency with general practitioner (GP) and the proportion of residents who use antidepressants. The study included 432 rehoused residents matched 1:2 with remaining residents and residents from a comparable neighbouring area without exposure to rehousing. For GP contact frequency, we conducted a difference-in-difference analysis while the proportion of residents who used antidepressants was investigated through descriptive statistics. We found high GP contact frequency in the three groups, but no significant differences. Further, we found a low proportion of residents who used antidepressants in all groups, but a small increase from baseline to follow-up. Our results thus suggest that FPR neither affected the rehoused residents’ GP contact frequency nor the proportion who used antidepressants.

The prevalence and association of measured and perceived indoor air quality, housing characteristics, and residents’ behavior and health

BackgroundIn social housing buildings, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been shown to be more prevalent, and residents living in social housing areas are often more vulnerable and susceptible to adverse health effects from IAQ.AimTo examine the state and the association of measured and perceived IAQ, how housing characteristics and residents' behavior are associated with IAQ, and the association with residents' health.MethodThe HOME-Health study is a cross-sectional study among residents living in social housing in Denmark (n = 432). Seasonal measurements examined the IAQ by a 14-day period measuring carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature (TP), relative humidity (RH), and air change rate. Residents' self-reported behavior, comfort, and health were obtained from a structured interview.ResultsThermal discomfort and draught were the most common challenges. During summer, the mean TP was higher, the mean RH was lower, and residents more frequently reported dry air in homes where it was not possible to create cross ventilation. There were a higher mean CO2 and RH when crowdedness increased, particularly during winter. In addition, the proportion of residents reporting dry air was higher when CO2-level was below 1,000 ppm. When the mean RH-level was above 50%, a higher proportion of residents reported experiencing damp air, and when the mean RH-level was below 40% residents more frequently reported dry air. Perception of bad air quality was higher when the mean CO2-level exceeded 1,000 ppm. Additionally, residents reported being most thermally comfortable when the TP was within the range of 20–20.99°C and least comfortable within a range of 22–22.99°C. The residents' perceived experience of impaired IAQ was associated with negative general health symptoms.ConclusionIt is key that homes have the capability to create cross ventilation in order to allow for proper ventilation and to avoid overheating. When evaluating IAQ it is important to not only consider the measured parameters but to also include the residents' behavior and perception of IAQ as these both are related to the actual IAQ and associated health effects.

Urban growth by fragments. Consolidation and land value in peripheral areas resulting from housing policy in Córdoba, Argentina

The study of the consolidation of built-up areas in the periphery of cities is interesting because it is linked to the differential forms of access to land, services, urban facilities, workplaces, and daily mobility for the inhabitants. The research identifies the locations of public housing in Córdoba city and the transformations that were produced in the physical morphology of the surroundings during a decade. Land uses, the level of building consolidation, and the dynamics of land prices in the surrounding areas lead us to reflect on the evolution of social housing areas as urban fragments built on the periphery. The objectives of the study are to recognize the effects of housing policy location in urban development and to discuss the sustainability of the urban-growth model. In the context of the increasing commodification of the city, this development pattern intensifies socio-territorial inequalities derived from the location of low-income families in scattered outlying areas.

Factors Affecting the Institutionalized Political Participation of Chinese Women

This study utilizes the CGSS2021 dataset to explore institutionalized political engagement among Chinese women. Key findings include positive correlations with social circle involvement, housing area, and traditional media consumption. Interestingly, younger women are less politically engaged. Cross-tabulation reveals that daily social interactions and disagreement with prioritizing marriage over career boost institutionalized political involvement, particularly in Beijing. By contrast, women from Inner Mongolia show the least engagement. Surprisingly, frequent internet usage has limited influence on political participation, whereas traditional media use boosts it. Women in their first marriage also show higher engagement. The study offers policy recommendations to enhance Chinese women's political participation.

223 Community Interventions to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival: an Observational Study Investigating the Potential of Targeting Social Housing Areas

223 Community Interventions to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival: an Observational Study Investigating the Potential of Targeting Social Housing Areas

Performance evaluation and users’ perception of courtyards role in indoor areas of mediterranean social housing

Cities confront two critical challenges: general overheating and inefficient use of energy resources within their housing buildings, both adversely affecting urban citizens' daily lives. To mitigate these issues, passive techniques offer promising solutions on enhancing building comfort levels from a sustainable approach. Although this energy efficiency of air-conditioning systems in buildings in warm climates has been extensively analysed, the influence of the microclimate of transitional spaces attached to them on this performance has not yet been properly assessed. Investigating the potential benefits of the implementation of courtyards within Seville's social housing infrastructure for passive conditioning purposes is one way of reducing this research gap. Furthermore, the study also includes the subjective perception of users' thermal well-being around these spaces and their own social relationship related to their use. The work relies on detailed data analyses carried out using DesignBuilder software to quantify the benefit effectively accrued from courtyard utilization. Concurrently, user surveys conducted help determine perceived thermal comfort aiding better configuration management and passive design strategies of urban social housing. Findings from monitoring and simulation reveal that courtyards work faultlessly as a highly effective and efficient passive cooling system whilst promoting energy efficiency up to 20,5%. Surveys confirmed these findings with data revealing significant improvements in thermal comforts perception inside courtyards and within indoor spaces adjacent to the courtyards. This research provides novel insights into how architects and urban managers might integrate passive strategies into future designs for optimizing comfort levels in social housing using courtyards as one possible environmental measure for achieving sustainability targets.

Social Landscape, Peripheral Inclusion and Un-Practice: Concepts for Understanding Social Housing Daily Life in Open Spaces

This article presents new concepts for discussing urban social space, named “social landscape”, “peripheral inclusion” and “un-practice”. These concepts are based on the analysis of social practices in vulnerable neighborhoods with a high number of social housing blocks in South America. The aim of the article is to show that the complexity of social practices in vulnerable urban areas is not only the result of the urban environment, which combines social inequality, marginalization and insecurity, but also and above all of the management and maintenance of this inequality. The research method combines bibliographical research with the method of non-participant systematic observation, the latter analyzing everyday life in social housing areas of São Paulo-SP (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile). The discussion and results will lead the reader to understand not only the concepts, but also the idea that open spaces have an important role in social practices, especially public spaces. It seeks to demonstrate the importance of linking public spaces and housing in public policies for the creation of social housing, as opposed to housing policies that focus on the production of architecture disconnected from the urban and social reality.

How to ensure occupant comfort and satisfaction through deep building retrofit? Lessons from a Danish case study

The pace of building retrofit is expected to increase significantly in the coming decade if the European Union is to meet its ambitious climate targets. This study explores successes and challenges with current retrofit efforts, with focus on indoor environmental quality and occupants’ satisfaction with the technical installations. A survey, indoor environmental monitoring and semi-structured interviews were carried out in a Danish social housing area undergoing a deep energy retrofit. The retrofit considerably improved winter thermal comfort and indoor air quality, which was a great source of satisfaction for the occupants. Overheating was however identified as an important concern in summer. The mechanical ventilation units suffered from faults which caused discomfort, in particular dry air, noise and draft. Occupants lacked knowledge on ventilation and manual control over it, which led a share of them to mitigate discomfort in alternative ways, by obstructing diffusers or disconnecting the units. To avoid the risks linked to such behaviors, new retrofit efforts should pay particular attention to user-friendliness of technical installations, clear communication of technical information to the residents and a close monitoring of the installations’ performance and occupants’ satisfaction after move-in.

Social relations and health in an ethnically diverse social housing area selected for large structural changes compared to municipal levels: a Danish survey study

BackgroundThis study aims to describe demographics, social relations and health in an ethnically diverse social housing area selected to undergo large structural changes and compare it to the surrounding municipality. Furthermore, to explore the association between social relations and self-rated health (SRH) and the interaction with country of origin in both populations.MethodsData sources include a multilingual interviewer-driven survey study in a social housing area (N = 209) and a municipal health survey (N = 1,638) among residents aged 45 + years. Information on social relations include contact frequency with and support from family, friends, and neighbors. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and country of origin are presented, as well as joint effect analyses of social relations and country of origin on SRH.ResultsIn the social housing area, 38.8% of the respondents reported poor SRH compared to 19.5% in the municipality. In both study populations low contact frequency was associated with poor SRH, however insignificantly in the social housing area compared to the municipality sample, OR = 1.50 (0.65–3.46) vs. OR = 2.42 (1.70–3.45). Joint exposure to having non-Western background and low contact frequency was strongly associated with poor SRH in the social housing area, OR = 6.28 (1.80–21.89) but less so in the municipality, OR = 3.67 (1.55–8.69). The same tendency was seen regarding low support from social relations.ConclusionsThis study provides insight to a population that is generally underrepresented in survey studies. In the social housing area, approximately twice as many reported poor SRH compared to the municipality data. In both populations, low contact frequency and low support were associated with poor SRH. Residents with weak social relations and non-Western origin simultaneously were more likely to report poor SRH in the social housing area specifically but less so in the municipality, indicating a higher vulnerability among the residents in the social housing area.

Is urban regeneration associated with antidepressants or sedative medication users: a registry-based natural experiment

BackgroundArea deprivation is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. In Denmark, urban regeneration is being used to dissolve concentrated socio-economic area deprivation and ethnic segregation. However, evidence on how urban...

The HOME-Health (HOusing, environMEnt, and Health) Study; Description of a Danish natural experiment, designed as a longitudinal study with repeated measurements, providing internal- and external validity of the study.

The ambient and indoor environment are pivotal to our health. We spend most of our time indoors within our home, why our home is where we are most exposed to indoor pollutants and indoor air quality (IAQ). Populations within social housing areas are more vulnerable due to advanced age, co-morbidity and social economic status. Commonly, studies within social housing are cross-sectional, few Nordic longitudinal studies exist, and fewer studies combine quantitative and qualitative measurements in a mixed method approach. This research proposal provides an extensive detailed description of the design and methodology of the HOME-Health study. The study is a longitudinal study and is a natural experiment employing structured surveys, objective measurements of indoor air parameters, lung function test and qualitative semi-structured interviews. Data collection are conducted seasonally (winter and summer), before and after building energy renovation (BER). The study population before BER (n = 432) was explored and found similar to the Danish social housing population in terms of age, gender, persons per apartment and migration status. Future analyses should be stratified by multi-family apartments and terraced houses. The aim of the HOME-Health study is to provide knowledge about residents' seasonal state of health, perception of indoor enviromental quality (IEQ), IEQ-related behaviours and practices, and objective measurements of IAQ before and after BER. By applying a design with repeated measurement before and after BER, and combining both objective and subjective quantitative as well as qualitative data the study is expected to create in-depth knowledge. Future results will provide evidence of both energy-savings and non-energy savings from different BER projects. Knowledge which are expected to benefit future renovation projects within social housing areas.

Evaluations of energy upgrading interventions in social housing neighbourhoods in Greece: An approach that takes into account residents’ views

The European Union (EU) has committed to actions aimed at the energy efficiency of buildings, with a focus on the domestic sector. Most residential buildings in Greece are classified in the lowest energy categories, while the government attempts to upgrade them energy wise, through state subsidy programs. This study aims to evaluate the energy upgrading interventions in social housing areas, built in the capital of Greece, Athens. For this purpose, energy audits are performed in social housing in three different neighborhoods, in order to find the current building stock and later suggest energy upgrading solutions. The study is followed by a questionnaire survey to citizens of the neighborhoods under study. The majority of respondents consider significantly beneficial the energy-saving upgrade programs that the Greek Government has run in recent years, as they demand to be easier for everyone to participate. At the same time, respondents seem to be positive for future energy upgrade interventions, such as external insulation, frame replacement and implementation of renewable energy systems. Through the implementation of energy upgrade scenarios in the official national software for energy audits (TEE KENAK), results show that dwellings can upgrade up to 7 energy categories, with short payback time, reducing CO2 and primary energy emissions.

The role of affects in subjective constructions of neighborhood boundaries: An investigation of Bairro de Contumil (Porto, Portugal)

ABSTRACT This study draws upon cognitive maps and in-depth interviews with 15 unemployed women residing in a Portuguese social housing neighborhood (Bairro de Contumil) to explore how affects influence subjective neighborhood constructions. Despite Bairro de Contumil’s visible disconnection from its surroundings, its residents perceive its boundaries differently. The mental maps varied substantially, and none of the participants limited their neighborhood definition to the social housing area. In spite of this diversity, all participants used their habitual use of space and relationships as the main criteria for defining the neighborhood’s boundaries, both of which are strongly connected to their affects. The in-depth interviews revealed complex relations between place attachment, place identity, human relations, use of space, and spatial perception.

Changing Gellerup Park

Some low-income social housing neighborhoods are undergoing radical transformations in Denmark. Classified as “ghettos” and “parallel societies,” and marked by area-specific legislation, we identify a triple exposure in these neighborhoods. The residents are exposed to inequality, stigmatization, and discriminatory inter-ventions. Parallel to this, cultural policies and programs have ap-proached these same neighborhoods based on the assumption that they can be “elevated” through art. Drawing upon a broader re-search in art project in four social housing areas (Eriksson, Nielsen, Sørensen and Yates, 2022), this article focuses on Gellerup Park in Aarhus and considers how two site-specific art platforms address the site and time-specific conditions of the area, offering alterna-tive relations and forms of engagement.

Association Between Urban Regeneration and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior of Affected Residents: A Natural Experiment in two Multi-Ethnic Deprived Housing Areas in Denmark.

Area regeneration of deprived neighborhoods is being used to reduce health inequality, socioeconomic deprivation and ethnic segregation. This quasi-experimental study examines if long-term graded exposure to urban regeneration is associated with primary healthcare-seeking behavior among residents. We compared general practitioner (GP) contacts from 2015-2020 in two adjacent, deprived social housing areas, one exposed to area regeneration. Populations were into Western and non-Western males and females aged 15 years and older (N = 3,960). Mean annual GP contact frequency for each group were estimated and a difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis was conducted with adjustments for propensity scores based on baseline characteristics. GP contact frequency increased for all groups across time with a systematically higher level and faster increase in the control groups. In particular, the mean difference between the exposed and control area for Western women increased from -4.67 to -5.76 annual contacts across the period. The mean differences in contact frequency increased for all groups but results of the DiD analyses were insignificant. In conclusion, an increasing gap in GP contact frequency, with the highest levels in the control area, was observed for all comparisons across time. More long-term research is needed to understand how the increasing gaps evolve.

The association between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety: a cross-sectional survey study among social housing residents in Denmark

BackgroundSocial integration and perceived neighborhood environment are recognized as important social determinants of health. However, little is known about the association between social integration and perceived neighborhood environment among underrepresented population groups, such as residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in public health research. The aim of this study is to: 1) Describe the levels of social integration and 2) Investigate the association between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety among middle-aged and older social housing residents.MethodsA multilingual face-to-face interviewer-administrated survey questionnaire was conducted among 206 residents aged 45 years and above (response rate: 34.1%) of various nationalities in disadvantaged socioeconomic positions in a social housing area in Denmark. The assessment of social integration was based on cohabitation status, frequency of face-to-face and non-face-to-face interaction with social relations and participation in local association activities. Neighborhood dissatisfaction measured the level of dissatisfaction with the neighborhood, and neighborhood unsafety assessed the level of unsafety being outdoors in the neighborhood. Descriptive statistics were conducted to illustrate respondent characteristics and the distribution of social integration among the study population. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze associations between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety, adjusted for age, sex, country of origin, educational attainment and employment status.ResultsIn total, 23.8% of the respondents reported low levels of social integration. A medium level of social integration was associated with higher odds of neighborhood dissatisfaction (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.04–5.38) compared to the highest level of integration. A low frequency of face-to-face interaction was associated with higher odds of neighborhood dissatisfaction (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.16–6.06) and neighborhood unsafety (OR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.04–5.57) compared to the highest frequency of face-to-face interaction.ConclusionsAlmost one-fourth of respondents reported low levels of social integration. A medium level of social integration was associated with neighborhood dissatisfaction. A low frequency of face-to-face interaction was associated with neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety. The results suggest that targeted health promotion interventions designed to foster face-to-face interaction, hold potential to reduce neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety among residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Non-Association Conditions among Released Women: Implications for Successful Community Reintegration

AbstractIn addition to standard parole conditions, parolees under federal community supervision may be subject to special conditions as determined by the Parole Board of Canada; such conditions are intended to manage factors associated with criminogenic risk and need. One set of special conditions places restrictions on parolees’ social relationships and associations, which can include general restrictions (e.g., non-association with individuals involved in crime) or specific restrictions (e.g., no contact with one’s victim or co-accused). Drawing on case files of women under community supervision (n = 43), we explore how non-association and no contact orders shape community release experiences. We suggest that such conditions can have wide-reaching effects on women’s social lives and reintegration (e.g., in the areas of social support, employment, and housing), thereby, at times, complicating women’s attempts to construct post-institutional lives and identities. We consider how association conditions illustrate the broader tension between parole requirements and reintegration.

Contemporary Youth Culture at the Margins of Marseille and Milan: Gangs, Music, and Global Imaginaries

Abstract In this article, we will compare Marseille and Milan, as well as the social (and digital) practices of young people living in two neighbourhoods: LaFab in the third district—one of the poorest areas of the French city—and San Siro—one of the largest social housing areas of the Italian one. These young people were born in France and Italy, but their parents are mostly of African origins. This comparative analysis is carried out at three interdependent levels: the youth policies, the ethnographic study of young people practices, and the imaginaries they (re)create. In conclusion, we will show how social exclusion intersects with spatial marginalisation and how, in the two cities, groups of young people (through music production, ngo projects, or illicit drug-trafficking networks) have developed glocally-oriented strategies to create self-determination and creativity spaces as an alternative to such structural obstacles.

Planning at the edge: urbanism and socio-political transition in Chelas, Lisbon

ABSTRACT Throughout the twentieth century, many European countries developed public housing policies where planners and architects pursued creative, even radical design. This optimism collapsed within a few decades, re-emerging today as a hope in face of impending urban crisis, housing-access shortages and environmental decline. Here, we observe the urban process of Chelas, the largest social housing area ever planned by the Portuguese State, located in Lisbon. Its ambitious and progressive plan started during a dictatorial regime yet completed during a democratic one. Specific original plan features allowed Chelas to evolve over time, demonstrating the resilience of the territory and of its residents, and testifying to complex political and social changes. To understand this process, we disclose: (i) What territorial conditions existed prior to urbanization; (ii) What solutions were originally planned and under what circumstances; (iii) How the built forms of Chelas have accommodated change over time and which urban processes allowed such changes to occur. Focusing on one of Chelas’s sectors, Zone N, we trace its evolution from planning to reality, while also considering its spatial, social and ecological conditions and highlighting its future possibilities as a sustainable suburban neighbourhood.