Utilizing critical and welfare state theory, this thesis is primarily centred on policy analysis regarding the design and implementation of the legislated right to housing in Canada alongside the National Housing Strategy. In examining Canada’s National Housing Strategy, right to housing legislation, and analysis and commentary around the 2019 Canadian federal budget, the thesis explores the potential for the right to housing to contribute to progressive policy shifts in Canada’s housing system at a time where the impacts of commodification and financialization continue to be prevalent. Additional literature related to Canada’s housing system and social welfare responses, and commentary on the right to housing in domestic and international contexts contributes to an assessment of the social and economic conditions that have led to the emergence of alternative housing policy, as well as the underlying principles and ideologies which guide and influence state intervention. Through this assessment, it is evident that while the legal space in which to claim the right to housing may be an important foundation to further highlight and challenge inequities in Canada’s housing system, the extent to which this results in tangible systemic change remains in question. Further topics are explored in the conclusion around the potential next steps and necessary considerations for implementation in the Canadian context. The research, analysis, and discussion present in this thesis is meant to contribute to a relevant and timely critical examination of the right to housing in Canada, centred within social work values, in order to better understand how to conceptualize and challenge inequities in Canada’s housing system. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Lifestyle is a popular concept used to understand consumers' behaviors; however, the lifestyle concept rarely has been applied to housing studies. Although renting a multifamily dwelling is a non-normative housing choice in the United States, many people prefer to rent multifamily housing units for reasons other than financial. The purpose of this study is to identify the housing preferences of multifamily housing residents as determined by their lifestyles. The model of influences on housing choice was used as a theoretical framework for the study. Fifty nine housing activity, interest, and opinion (AIO) statements were developed as a lifestyle measurement for this study. A total of 211 responses were collected from residents of nine selected apartment communities in Charlotte, N.C., through two phases of questionnaire surveys. The respondents were represented by young single-person or couple households with high income and college degrees or higher education. Four lifestyle factors (Well-being, Social, Spaces, and Envirotech) were derived from housing interest and opinion items, and the respondents were grouped into four lifestyle clusters (Community Cluster, Basics Cluster, Home Cluster, and Environment Cluster) on the basis of the lifestyle factors. The relationships between the lifestyle clusters and their housing preferences were tested and the model of influences on housing choice was partially supported. Households in the Community Cluster had a strong downtown-orientation and the weakest perception of homeownership, and preferred to have security features. Households in the Basics Cluster had the weakest preferences for apartment home and community features and the second weakest perception of homeownership. Households in the Home Cluster had the strongest perception of homeownership and relatively strong feature preferences, including preferences for upscale interior design features. Households in the Environment Cluster had a strong suburban-orientation and preferred to have outdoor parking spaces in front of the building, plant watering service, and an on-site car care center. The findings from this study can be applied to the design and management of apartment communities and to marketing strategies that are sensitive to lifestyle concepts. Because of the unique sampling framework, the results from this study cannot be generalized. Instead, it is recommended that further research studies test the housing AIO statements with different groups in diverse markets. / Ph. D.

This thesis rediscovers the built environment and develops an awareness of scale, materiality and composition in architecture. / Master of Architecture

No description available.

The past three decades have witnessed the rapid development of the Chinese housing market , which is considered as a barometer of and an extremely crucial component of the whole Chinese economic system. Although some important findings have been obtained by previous research, many conclusions have been controversial and a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism and behaviour of the Chinese housing system is a worthwhile endeavour. The existing studies about the Chinese housing market are mostly confined to qualitative analysis, lacking the support of a theoretical basis and empirical research. This thesis aims to employ more recent econometrical methodologies, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, to systematically analyse several prevalent issues of the Chinese housing market. More specifically, this thesis is going to explore the main determinants of house prices, the convergence and ripple effects of regional house prices, and the interactive relationship between housing conditions and individual’s subjective well-being. Some empirical findings can be drawn from this thesis: 1) by using the system GMM dynamic panel data models, the results indicate that Chinese house prices are mainly affected by factors related to government policies and speculative demand rather than the urbanization process, which is understandable in a non-fully market-oriented status quo; 2) there is evidence of very limited convergence of regional house prices by employing unit root tests, σ-convergence and β-convergence approaches; however, the alternative methods, such as panel regression models, Engle-Granger/Johansen cointegration tests and Granger Causality tests, imply that house prices can ripple out from some core cities to other cities; 3) the results of the Ordered Probit Models suggest that the housing conditions in urban areas play a significant role in peoples’ subjective well-being in respect of housing satisfaction and overall happiness; additionally, the effects of housing factors impact on different groups of residents in different ways. Due to the limitations of data sources in the early days, this thesis is the first to combine such a wide panel data series, on both the time dimension and geographic dimension, to study the Chinese Housing Market. Also, when analysing the convergence and ripple effects models, this thesis transfers the original link indexes used by previous scholars into modified constant growth indexes, which improves the efficiency of empirical models to a greater extent. In addition, approaches using the system GMM method, σ- and β-convergence analysis, Engle-Granger/Johansen cointegration tests and Granger Causality tests are first introduced into the study of the Chinese housing market, generally achieving good results especially in the determinants of house prices and the ripple effects of regional house prices. Moreover, except for the commonly used method of the Ordered Probit Model for the questionnaire survey research, this thesis produces the predicted value of housing satisfaction by using two-stage estimations, to investigate the effects of housing conditions and housing satisfaction on people’s overall happiness. Meanwhile, the approach of ‘money equivalent effects’ is also a new perspective in detecting the effects of housing conditions on overall happiness.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Informal settlements are a form of housing found in many parts of the world. Self-help housing in informal settlements has different influences that are denoted in the customs and preferences of the residents, which in turn, are reflected on the elements of house exteriors as well as its interior. Colonias in the U.S-Mexico border region are a model of informal settlements. The purpose of this study is to analyze the social and cultural influences on housing fronts in Webb County Colonias. The study focuses on investigating traditional features, vernacular forms, building rituals, and social features as they relate to the morphology of house fronts and their production. The housing model of Geddes and Bertalanffy explained by Turner (1972) was the premise of establishing the argument of this study. A mixed-method approach was used in data gathering from the following three Colonias: Los Altos, Larga Vista, and Rio Bravo. Utilized methods included image-based research through systematic random sampling of housing fronts in the Colonias, as well as a group-administered structured survey distributed during community monthly gathering for food distribution. The development of the research process and methodology incorporated the input of the local community and local leaders and volunteers assisted in its implementation. The study concluded that past and present experiences of Colonias residents have intense impacts on different aspects contributing to the themes comprising the morphology of Colonias housing fronts. A classical pattern of migration as well as maintained contact and continuous dialogue between residents and their kin were found to result in preserving the inherent native culture of the Colonias’ residents and can thus be considered as core elements. This preservation of native culture was indicated by utilization of semi-private space, traditional roof forms, privacy and security elements, and building rituals. The study also identified additional secondary modified elements, represented by the lack of gates utilization as a measure of security. These core and modified elements coincide with the Geddes and Bertalanffy model and therefore it can be deduced that this model can be applied in the case of the Colonias.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-139).

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 2000. / Thesis advisor: Brian Somers. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Georgaphy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-101).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.