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2026 Vol.17, Issue 1 Preview Page

General Article

Spatial disparities in housing satisfaction among national rental and happy housing residents in Seoul’s living zones
Changho Kweon1
,
Hyekyung Lee2*
1PhD, School of Urban Planning and Real Estate Studies, Dankook University, Yongin, South Korea
2Associate Professor, School of Urban Planning and Real Estate Studies, Dankook University, Yongin, South Korea
*Corresponding Author
31 March 2026. pp. 180-198
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Abstract

This study examines spatial disparities in the determinants of housing satisfaction among residents of Seoul’s public rental housing, focusing on the National Rental Housing and Happy Housing programs. As Seoul faces rapid urban growth and escalating housing costs, ensuring residential stability and satisfaction for diverse and vulnerable populations is increasingly crucial. Using the 4th wave data from the Seoul Public Rental Housing Tenant Panel survey collected in 2021 and ordinal logistic regression analysis, the research investigates how residential environment, economic characteristics, housing quality, and social relations shape housing satisfaction, comparing variations across housing programs and between affluent Southeast zone and other areas of Seoul. The findings show that residential environment and economic burden consistently influence satisfaction, although their impacts vary by program and location. In the Southeast, National Rental Housing residents are more affected by economic conditions and floor area, while environmental and social factors play a more significant role in other regions. In Happy Housing, the residential environment emerges as the primarily determinant, particularly in the Southeast. For National Rental Housing, larger exclusive floor area enhances satisfaction, whereas more rooms are linked to lower satisfaction, reflecting potential mismatches in unit design. Overall, the results highlight the interplay of spatial context, program type, and household composition, underscoring the need for regionally adaptive housing policies responsive to local needs and amenities.

Keywords
public rental housing
housing satisfaction
spatial disparities
residential environment
housing policy
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Information
  • Publisher :Sustainable Building Research Center (ERC) Innovative Durable Building and Infrastructure Research Center
  • Publisher(Ko) :건설구조물 내구성혁신 연구센터
  • Journal Title :International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development
  • Volume : 17
  • No :1
  • Pages :180-198
  • Received Date : 2026-02-20
  • Accepted Date : 2026-03-27
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.22712/susb.20260011
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