Similarities And Differences In Residents' Perception OF Housing Adequacy And Residential Satisfaction

Housing adequacy and residential satisfaction are two concepts used to evaluate the extent to which housing schemes meet residents’ needs and expectations. However, the differences and similarities in the way residents understand these concepts have not been properly articulated in the research literature. This study therefore investigated the differences and similarities in residents’ perception of housing adequacy and residential satisfaction with a view to identifying the dimensions of housing adequacy and residential satisfaction evaluation; and the factors that influenced this. The data were derived from a questionnaire survey of 517 residents in public housing in Ogun State, Nigeria; and analyzed using descriptive statistical, factor and categorical regression analyses. The result shows that whereas the residents evaluated housing adequacy based on four key dimensions: ambient condition of interior spaces; security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities; social infrastructure and sizes of main activity areas, residential satisfaction was evaluated based on three dimensions: the physical, social and economic environment of the housing estates; size, type, location, appearance; privacy and security of the residences. Residential satisfaction, tenure and income emerged as the three strongest predictors of housing adequacy, while housing adequacy, employment status and sex of the respondents were the three strongest predictors of residential satisfaction. Age of the respondents was found to be the only predictor of both housing adequacy and residential satisfaction. The key implication of the study is that, in housing research, each of these two concepts can serve as a surrogate for each other. It also implies that to improve the living conditions of residents of public housing, housing policy makers and developers should pay sufficient attention to the needs of all categories of residents by making sure that the housing preferences of workers in the different sectors and age groups are properly incorporated into future housing projects

Investigating Dimensions of Housing Adequacy Evaluation by Residents in Public Housing: Factor Analysis Approach

Purpose- The aim of this study was to investigate the dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation by residents in public housing with a view to identifying how government and construction professionals can deliver adequate housing facilities. Design/Methodology/Approach- The research is based on household surveys involving 517 respondents selected from nine public housing estates constructed between 2003 and 2010 in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria. The data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to residents by the researchers through visits to the housing estates. A total of 33 variables derived from the review of literature were used in measuring housing adequacy Descriptive statistics and factor analyses were used in analysis of the data. Findings- The study reveals that residents perceived their housing situation as inadequate. They evaluated housing adequacy based on four key dimensions: (i) ambient condition of interiors spaces, security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities (ii) social infrastructure (iii) level of privacy and size of sleeping, and (iv) seizes of living and dining areas in the residences. These dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation were found not to be exactly the same way experts conceived housing adequacy in the literature. Research Implications: The concept of housing adequacy can be used to examine occupants’ housing preferences and their standard of living; the quality of housing and performance of mass housing projects. Practical Implications- The paper makes practical suggestions to government and construction professionals on how to improve adequacy levels of public housing. Specifically, in the areas of giving more attention to ambient condition of interiors, security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities as well as privacy; and sizes of main activities areas in dwelling units 2 in the design, construction and management of public housing projects. Originality/value- The study identifies dimensions of housing adequacy evaluation by residents in public housing and compares these with experts’ conception of housing adequacy

Housing outcomes: an assessment of long-term trends

This paper was presented at the conference "Unequal incomes, unequal outcomes? Economic inequality and measures of well-being" as part of session 2, " Affordability of housing for young and poor families." The conference was held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on May 7, 1999. The authors examine trends in housing outcomes by income group. Orr and Peach indicate that there has been a substantial improvement in the physical adequacy of the housing stock over the past few decades, particularly for households in the lowest income quintile. Neighborhood quality for all income groups has also improved, although sharp differences in quality continue to exist across the groups. In one important respect, however, lower income households are worse off than before - housing costs now absorb a larger share of their income.Housing ; Housing - Finance

Housing Adequacy Gap for Minorities and Immigrants in the U.S.: Evidence from the 2009 American Housing Survey

Home adequacy for different groups in the U.S. has not been adequately studied. Using the data from the national level American Housing Survey for the year 2009and logit model, this paper finds that there is a significant adequacy difference for Blacks and Hispanics when compared to whites in the U.S. However, that is not the case for immigrants relative to the natives. We also find that then naturalization improves housing adequacy among immigrant homeowners, whereas, the female headed households have a significantly higher home adequacy than that of the male headed households. Similar to the homeownership findings, this paper highlights that the public policies should aim to narrow the home adequacy gap between whites and minorities and encourage naturalization to improve adequacy among immigrant homeowners

Meeting basic needs? Forced migrants and welfare

As the number of forced migrants entering Britain has risen, increasingly restrictive immigration and asylum policy has been introduced. Simultaneously, successive governments have sought to limit the welfare entitlements of forced migrants. Drawing on two sets of semi-structured qualitative interviews, with migrants and key respondents providing welfare services, this paper considers the adequacy of welfare provisions in relation to the financial and housing needs of four different groups of forced migrants i.e. refugees, asylum seekers, those with humanitarian protection status and failed asylum seekers/‘overstayers’. There is strong evidence to suggest that statutory provisions are failing to meet the basic financial and housing needs of many forced migrants

Assessment of the Qualitative Adequacy of Newly Constructed Public Housing in Ogun State, Nigeria

The purpose of this paper is to present research assessing the level of qualitative adequacy of newly constructed public housing in urban centres in Ogun State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/ approach – The study followed a quantitative research strategy. A survey of 517 housing units constructed through four different strategies and selected based on quota of their existence in nine public housing estates was conducted with a questionnaire as the key data collection instrument. A five-point Likert scale was used in measuring the level of qualitative adequacy of four key housing sub-components. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings – Residents found the overall housing to be inadequate; they indicated that housing unit attributes were the most adequate and thus contributed most, while neighbourhood facilities were the least inadequate and contributed the least to qualitative housing adequacy. Research limitations/implications – The sample population comprised mainly house heads in public housing constructed between 2003 and 2009 therefore, the findings may not be considered to be applicable to all the public housing in the study area. However, the findings can form the basis for judging the performance of public housing in the current democratic dispensation in the study area. Practical implications – The findings imply that giving adequate attention to the provision of infrastructural facilities and maintenance of existing ones can enhance the qualitative adequacy of public housing. Originality/value – This paper is a pioneering effort at evaluating the qualitative adequacy of most recently constructed public housing in the study area

Better prepared for retirement? Using panel data to improve wealth estimates of ELSA respondents

We compare the key assumptions underpinning estimates of the pension wealth of ELSA respondents to outcomes over the period from 2002–03 to 2004–05. We find that many of these assumptions have, on average, proved cautious or reasonable. Improving pension wealth calculations using this new evidence makes little difference to the distribution of pension wealth. Previous estimates of retirement resources also considered net financial, physical and housing wealth. Particularly cautious, ex-post, was the assumption that net housing wealth would remain constant in real terms. We find that average housing wealth has risen by almost 40% in nominal terms over just two years, which is in line with growth in the Nationwide House Price Index. This large increase in house prices boosts estimates of total wealth across the entire distribution of wealth. Previous research showed that once half of current net housing wealth was included as a retirement resource 12.6% of employees approaching retirement were estimated to have resources below the Pensions Commission’s definition of adequacy. We show that taking into account the high growth in house prices between 2002–03 and 2004–05 reduces this to 10.9%, and that it would fall by a further 1.2 percentage points if house prices were to grow by 2½% a year in real terms in the future

A Simple Approach to Preventing the Next Housing Crisis-Why We Need ONe, What One Would Look Like, and Why Dodd-Frank Isn\u27t It

This article considers the adequacy of The Dodd-Frank Act in terms of its potential ability to prevent another crisis in the housing market. The author argues that Dodd-Frank, even if implemented broadly, will not address the key problem of excess complexity in the housing and financial markets. The author then suggests additional reform focusing on simplicity, exemplified by the existing regulatory framework in Denmark. Lastly, the author addresses the current political economy, which is blamed for making the passage of effective regulation too difficult

Measuring poverty using qualitative perceptions of welfare

The authors show how subjective poverty lines can be derived using simple qualitative assessments of perceived consumption adequacy, based on a household survey. Respondents were asked whether their consumption of food, housing, and clothing was adequate for their family's needs. The author's approach, by identifying the subjective poverty line without the usual"minimum-income question,"offers wide applications in developing country settings. They implement it using survey data for Jamaica and Nepal. The implied subjective poverty lines are robust to alternative methods of dealing with other components of consumption, for which the subjective"adequacy"question was not asked. The aggregate poverty rates based on subjective poverty lines come close to those based on independent"objective"poverty lines. There are notable differences, however, when geographic and demographic poverty profiles are constructed.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Health Promotion,Services&Transfers to Poor,Poverty Reduction Strategies,Poverty Assessment,Poverty Lines,Environmental Economics&Policies,Inequality,Achieving Shared Growth