Housing and quality of life. Measuring the social habitat in western Mexico [Vivienda y calidad de vida. Medición del hábitat social en el México occidental]

Abstract

Production of social housing in Mexico in recent years has experienced sustained growth, however would have to validate if the mass production reaches the minimum standards of habitability. The lack of information on behavior, quality of life and satisfaction achieved by users who live in a building, show the need to implement mechanisms to validate this measurement and serve as radiography living conditions in which are located. A study was conducted to measure the living conditions in the housing to apply a statistical model and adopting the comparative form of two prototypes of housing: social and economic. We extracted a representative sample of the population located in the south-west of the city of Guadalajara, located in western Mexico, performing a series of field visits to check the physical condition of dwellings, and the consolidation of splits. Being designed and implemented a survey of the inhabitants of both prototypes to assess their level of satisfaction. The results show the minimum conditions of habitability, sometimes below it, where are the studied homes. The lack of quality and insufficient space, impersonality in their designs, the impossibility of interaction between user and furniture, lack of privacy and security, the sum of all these translate into a poor habitability that directly impacts the quality of life users and their families.