Satisfaction with Public Housing in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Almost everywhere, the need to increase the supply of conventional public housing especially for the low-income urban households at affordable cost has undoubtedly sacrificed indoor space living standards. This study reports the findings of an investigation of urban households' satisfaction with public housing in West Taraka, one of the low-income housing suburbs in the city of Lae. The results of the study suggest that informants were significantly dissatisfied with their houses. Aspects of dissatisfaction referred to the size of houses, number of rooms and living/dining areas, lack of storage space, and poorly laid out and badly designed kitchen, toilet, and bathroom facilities. Finally, the study proposes the need to urgently review current architectural housing design criteria by closely examining and systematically recording cultural domiciliary patterns of Papua New Guineans.