The Effects of Spatial Environments of Public Rental Housing on Residents’ Satisfaction - Based on Multi-level Model -

For the past several decades, Korean government has provided public rental housings to solve the problem of affordable housing shortage for low-income households. However, the relevant policy, which has focused on quantitative expansion, has failed to carefully consider the residential environments or spatial characteristics of public rental housing. In this study, we sought to empirically verify the effects of the spatial characteristics of public rental housing on residential satisfaction among its residents. To do so, we conducted research on public rental housing across Seoul, using a multi-level model based on the data of Seoul Public Rental Housing Panel Survey in 2016. Our findings show that spatial characteristics of public housing have significant effects on the residential satisfaction of its residents. For example, urban parks, welfare facilities, markets, and banks are positively associated with residents’ satisfaction, while air pollution and harmful facilities are negatively related to residents’ satisfaction. In addition, it was found that the degree of the influence of spatial characteristics varied according to the types of public rental housing. These findings imply that when planning and constructing public rental housing in the future, its residential environment or spatial characteristics will need to be considered. In particular, different environment plans need to be applied to public rental housing of different types because residents’ characteristics vary according to the types of public rental housing.