Housing Quality: An Agenda for Research

Abstract

This paper proposes that housing quality ought to be considered in terms of economic, political and ecological dimensions in addition to traditional, architectural, technical and qualitative dimensions. The relative nature of these dimensions, and hence of housing quality, varies according to the societal context in which they occur. Consequently, this paper suggests that more integrated studies of housing availability, affordability and quality in precise localities should replace the transposition of generalised concepts and normative criteria from one locality to others.