Assessing change in quality of life following rehousing from slum settlements to social housing

Abstract

This article is the result of a study which aimed to evaluate how a group of resettled residents have adapted to their new houses in Istanbul. The removal of squatter dwellers and their relocation to social housing units affect their quality of life after the removal. To assess the quality of life of residents who have now been living for a long time in social housing after their slums were demolished by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, interviews were conducted with the aid of a questionnaire. A total of 506 interviews was completed in the districts of Eyup, Kartal and Sisli. The results of this research shall serve to provide valuable information, from which improvements in future social housing projects can be made. In the analyses of interview and questionnaire data, seven areas were identified: (1) living conditions, (2) physical factors, (3) environmental factors, (4) comparisons for social relationships, (5) access to services, (6) economic factors, (7) general satisfaction. At the completion of the research, it was found that the users seemed to be more satisfied with the physical factors than the social factors following the demolition of the slums. This study is important insofar as it helps to show that some methods are essential to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of social housing produced by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. In addition, the study may enable practitioners and policy makers to identify ways of improving the quality of life for social housing residents and the sustainability of new social housing developments.

Evaluating urban housing development patterns in developing countries: Case study of Worn-out Urban Fabrics in Iran

“…Results of the present study show that the social housing pattern is considered as the most suitable solution to the problem of the revival of urban WoUFs in developing countries, also because it perfectly fits the need of low-income people in developing countries; indeed, in social housing, rental rates are lower than the average rental rate in the housing market. This finding is in line with prior studies (Bodur & Yüksel, 2017;Grimshaw, 2019;Harputlugil et al, 2019;Laffin, 2019), which has shown that the social housing pattern is a housing pattern priority in both developed and developing countries, because it is helping the recovery of abandoned areas and giving them a renewed life. However, due to the fact that prior literature did not enlighten the discussion of how to sustainably recover WoUFs of cities in developing countries (Akbar Pour Saraskanroud et al, 2011;Amini et al, 2018;Gorjinia & Amini, 2016;Jaliz et al, 2020;Mosayyebzadeh et al, 2020;Samiei & Sayafzadeh, 2016;Sarvari et al, 2019), this study makes a strong theoretical advancement within the urban regeneration stream of study.…”

“…In developed countries, such as Singapore, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark and France, the social housing model has been used as a top priority (Grimshaw, 2019;Laffin, 2019). In developing countries such as Malaysia, the government housing model has been used as the primary pattern (Bilal, Meera, & Razak, 2019), while Turkey has placed social housing as a top priority (Bodur & Yüksel, 2017;Harputlugil, Harputlugil, Pedergnana, & Sarıoglu, 2019).…”

Housing Prices in a Market Under Years of Constant Transformation: A County-Based Analysis of Istanbul

“…They were occupied by manufacturing facilities and their workers, as Bağcılar was the county with mostly workers dwellings (Ocakçı, 2000), but then they turned into centres of sprawl in the 2000's (Akdogan, 2009). Later, it became a site for urban regeneration programs since 2011, thanks to the aforementioned legislation that promise urban aesthetic and durability against the threat of an earthquake (Bodur & Dülgeroğlu Yüksel, 2017;Karaman, 2009;Ozcevik et al, 2008;Yapıcı & Ileri, 2019). The reason why Başakşehir is among these counties is regarding its special case of transformation.…”

“…In Istanbul, large areas that allow for the construction of gated communities with shopping malls have become much more common with the urbanisation policies of administrative bodies. Public lands are offered to private construction companies as a partnership deal with governmental agency of public housing, TOKI (Bodur & Dülgeroğlu Yüksel, 2017). In cities under intense urban transformation, the newly-built housing projects eventually see an overall increase in housing prices when social amenities become extensive (Montgomery, 2008;Tang, 2006).…”

Adapting the Historic Urban Landscape Approach to Study Slums in a Historical City: The Mae Kha Canal Informal Settlements, Chiang Mai

“…This can lead to conflicts between the slum dwellers and local authorities. Furthermore, several scholarly studies have contended that eviction and relocation activities are the main catalysts for the erosion of citizens' original sociocultural livelihoods and communal ties, e.g., [20][21][22][23]. In the academic realm, several scholars have conducted extensive research on slums in different settings, including slums in megacities such as Dharavi in Mumbai and Bangkok [24][25][26][27], deteriorated neighborhoods in Mauritius [28], slums situated in water bodies in Nigeria [29], and slums located along riversides in several locations in Indonesia [30][31][32][33][34].…”