Habitability of the Elderly in Public Housing

Using critical incident and activity analysis techniques, residents of a federally-financed public housing facility for the elderly were interviewed on all aspects of their living and living environment. Of the 49 items covered, the most critical in terms of habitability included the following: difficulty reaching top shelves, certain doors were too heavy to operate, lack of carpeting resulted in cold floors, windows were too high to see out of without standing, bathroom and showers were difficult to use, recreation centered around sing-a-longs, pot-luck dinners, and hobbies included sewing, knitting and crocheting. These and other factors that both enhance and deter the overall habitability of the living complex are discussed and their human factors implications are outlined in terms of four criteria: Performance, Independence, Affectivity, and Preference.