Residents' Perceptions of Satisfaction and Safety

Abstract

This article reports on the use of the concepts of residential satisfaction and safety in the evaluation of a specific multifamily public housing site and illustrates the potential of these concepts for providing critical information for the future planning and design of that site. The evaluation was primarily based on structured self-reports from residents about perceptions of their housing environment and their expressed satisfaction with that housing. Issues such as privacy, appearance, management, maintenance, safety from crime, resident similarity, and economic value of the residence were among those examined. Two types of analyses are reported: principal component analyses of over 200 items from the questionnaire and multiple regression analyses to determine which principal component factors were predictive of residents' satisfaction and safety. The results of the regression analyses clearly show the interdependence between the physical environment and the residents and managers of that environment. This information resulted in the formulation of general objectives and specific recommendations for change.