Trauma-informed housing and well-being for refugee children: Insights from pre- and post-migration lived experiences of Zomi refugees, Tulsa

Refugee children often experience displacement, housing precarity, and environmental stress, yet little is known about how these experiences shape their spatial needs and aspirations for home and neighborhood after resettlement. This study explores trauma‑informed housing design through the visual and narrative perspectives of nine Zomi refugee children living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Using a participatory drawing method, and narrative methods, children depicted their pre‑migration and post‑migration “dream” home and neighborhood environments in the US, while current post-migration conditions were documented through children’s narratives and field observations. Pre‑migration drawings revealed overcrowding, darkness, noise, and insecurity. In contrast, dream housing drawings emphasized light, privacy, greenery, play, and community. Through qualitative visual analysis, eleven spatial themes were identified and synthesized into eight child‑derived trauma‑informed design principles at home and neighborhood scales. These principles- Light, Openness, and Safety; Cultural Identity and Adaptability; Clarity, Comfort, and Safety; Dignified and Culturally Legible Thresholds; Nature and Restoration; Play and Joy; Safe Accessibility and Movement; Cultural Belonging and Community; Proximity and Everyday Support; and Private Refuge and Functionality,Together, they reframe housing as a potential source of stability and well-being rather than mere survival. The findings advance a trauma‑informed design framework that integrates environmental psychology and architectural practice, positioning children's lived experiences as evidence for restorative, culturally grounded housing in refugee resettlement contexts.