As populations age worldwide, Japan—home to the highest proportion of older adults—faces profound changes in housing community life. Public housing ( Danchi ) increasingly experiences population aging, infrastructure deterioration, youth out-migration, and heightened risks of social isolation, particularly among older adults living alone. This study examines factors influencing subjective well-being, measured through life satisfaction and worries, across age and household groups in Chayamadai Danchi, Semboku New Town, Sakai City, Osaka. The elderly residents were categorized as those living alone or with a partner and those living with other family members and were compared with younger residents. A mixed-methods analyses was employed using nonparametric methods and qualitative interviews. Overall subjective well-being did not differ significantly across age groups, although life satisfaction declined with age whereas worry remained stable. Among elderly residents, concerns related to home appliances, shopping access, facility support, and social interaction were associated with lower life satisfaction. These findings advance the understanding of subjective well-being in aging public housing communities by demonstrating that life satisfaction and worry capture different dimensions of subjective well-being and may follow different trajectories across age groups. The findings further suggest that the relationship between life satisfaction and worry, and the factors shaping subjective well-being, vary across generations and elderly household types. In this context, public housing and NPO-led community initiatives function not only as service providers but also as catalytic mechanisms operating through community spaces, serving as a safety net, an enabling platform, or source of reassurance depending on residents’ age and household arrangements.
Prasongchatchai et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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