ABSTRACT
The crucial importance of the neighborhood environment in the attainment of decent housing for urban families has long been recognized. Few of the social and physical elements of neighborhood environment have ever been systematically measured, partly because “neighborhood” itself is difficult to define operationally and has different definitions depending on the particular spatial variables being examined. Several elements of the physical environment immediately surrounding each respondent’s home were rated. Respondents were asked about problems in their neighborhood that were of serious concern to them. To establish the relative importance of the neighborhood in the housing choices of low-income families and expected moves of respondents were probed. Although it is useful for planning purposes to identify aspects of the neighborhood environment which families find most unpleasant, in the case of inner-city residents, perceptions of changes over time may be more important.
