A Housing-Decision Framework: Development and Application

AbstractThis paper explains the theoretical bases and procedures used in developing and testing a housing-decision framework. The framework presented 1) assumes that consumer choice among housing alternatives is a function of available knowledge and predictability of intertemporal or future impact of a decision, and 2) requires the rating of six socio-economic and production factors on three conditions of choice resulting in an 18-cell matrix for assessing a housing-decision score (HDS). Four alternative housing types (active solar, passive solar, retrofitted and earth-sheltered) are evaluated using the housing-decision framework. Application of the framework results in the following HDS ranking: retrofitted 1, passive solar 2, active solar 3, and earth sheltered 4. Results of this procedure are then compared to three measures of consumer acceptance of the four alternatives from 1,804 respondents in the S-141 Southern region housing project, “Housing for Low- and Moderate- Income Families. “ For each of t...