Which is Better, Social Houses or Gecekondus? An Empirical Study on Izmir's Residents Available to Purchase

This study applied Salama's (2006, 2007) framework for affordable housing research and compared house and neighborhood satisfaction and future house aspirations of low income residents' who are dwelling in two different types of affordable houses; social houses and gecekondus in Izmir, Turkey. The study applied survey technique and 54 residents (27 in social housing area and 27 in gecekondu area) were interviewed. The results showed that residents' family characteristics were different on some issues (education, employment, household size) and similar on others (homeownership, income, duration of residence, and life style). Physical conditions were poor in both areas, but were far worse in gecekondus. Residents' evaluations of the current house and the neighborhood confirmed this argument. Despite such differences in physical conditions, when residents' general satisfaction with the house and the neighborhood was compared, residents of the two areas gave similar positive responses. In fact, majority of both residents reported that the house and the neighborhood had a positive effect on their life. Moreover, both residents' aspirations for future house were similar and limited in two areas. The applied value of these results and areas for future research are discussed.