ABSTRACT
A fact which is overlooked in examinations of housing problems is that the stream of services which a family receives from its home is a function of the quality and quantity of furnishings as well as of the home itself. Using the general conceptual framework as a guide, the first policy-development task is the establishment of measurable housing objectives against which needs, resources, programs, and higher level goals can then be compared. If greater equality in the distribution of housing space is to be the goal, the empirical subtleties should be recognized. There are two possible exceptions to the objective of environmental equality across demographic groups. The first has to do with neighborhood cleanliness. The second exception to environmental equality relates to population density and to the proportion of land that is covered by buildings. If the objective of improving the housing environment and reducing environmental differences among urban populations is seriously pursued, much better measures will be required.
