• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.41-50
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• 2009

This case study is an effort to provide new knowledge on the U.S. elderly public housing focusing on the residents' perceptions of the environmental conditions. For this study, we conducted a survey using written questionnaires and interviews with 20 residents who rent in Columbia, MO. The recorded interview data was used for final analysis; primary findings are as follows: The residents reported relatively high satisfaction on their overall environmental conditions in the two target public housing, built in 1950s. As the most significant problem, residents perceive the lack of storage space for individual units, Partially attributed to space limitations. In addition, bathroom needs varied dramatically among residents based on their health and whether wheelchairs are used. Therefore, it was found that instead of standardized bathrooms, a customizable configuration for the resident's unique physical condition and accessibility must be considered. The residents also addressed their concerns about security for entrance and foyer areas. Due to the small living areas, they wanted to have available outdoor public space for various social activities. Furthermore, they reported the need for small social gathering areas while friends and family members are visiting them, in addition to their small living units, which average 49.8 sq. ft. each.