Master of Science

thesisThe research study looked at the geographical and sociological factors influencing housing selection in a sub-community of Salt Lake City. Attention was focused on the low income to determine if cultural supports present in a blighted or slum neighborhood outweighed the physical aspects of bad housing. The research area consisted of 11 square blocks of one census tract in the inner core of Salt Lake City. Economically depressed, the area represented a blighted area, but not a slum in the senqe of many Arne rican cities. The method of obtaining the subjects was through the generation of random walks within the study area and seeking interviews at every tenth residence. The sample was sharply divided between the Under 30 and Over 60 population. There were 72.2 percent of the sample living in poverty or deprivation as defined for the study. The minorities represented 16.4 percent of the sample. There were homeowners represented in the Black and Oriental sample, but none in the Spanish American sample which was the largest minority group in the study. The Over 60 sample represented 58.8 percent of the home owners of the area. The investigator proposed to test three hypothese s: Householders, in the moves they make, show a bias for the sector and zone of their existing home. Low income individuals have a narrow or limited use pattern from the broader comm unity. Low income households place the physical aspects of housing low on a quality of life value scale. The city was divided into sectors and rings and the locations of past moves and areas of preferred future homes were plotted on a base m ap , The resulting composite maps showed past moves in the study area, functional area, and sectors and rings of the city 0 Similar composite maps were made for the preferred areas of the subjects 0 The results of the research supported the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis was partially supported. The Under 30 age group deviated sharply from the older segments of the sample. The third hypothesis was inconclusively supported 0 No pattern by income levels could be detected in the quality of life scale . "Good food" was first according to the calculated mean rank. "Housing" was placed second on the scale. However, there was a much larger increment between the mean ranks of the first and second items than in successive items on the scale. Ancillary data from the study found that the Black and Spanish American subjects indicated that there was "no other place available" rather than "cost" as the decisive factor influencing present housing selection 0 "Cost" was the factor for subjects whose income was over $5000 per year 0 When asked to indicate the desirable factors in a good place to live, the subjects chose the items giving a sense of belonging or comfort before physical char acte r i sti cs , There were two exceptions, "schools" and "close to work" were ranked in the top five items 0 When asked to rate from very poor to excellent their neighborhood characteristics, the subjects rated their neighborhood as good and showed strong preferences for the items giving a sense of security. The research conclusions were: that people do seek housing in a known sector and zone; that the Under 30 householders are not trapped by culture or tied by sociological factors to present areas of housing; and that housing, while important, is not the most important factor in a good life