Abstract
This article is the result of a study which aimed to evaluate how a group of resettled residents have adapted to their new houses in Istanbul. The removal of squatter dwellers and their relocation to social housing units affect their quality of life after the removal. To assess the quality of life of residents who have now been living for a long time in social housing after their slums were demolished by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, interviews were conducted with the aid of a questionnaire. A total of 506 interviews was completed in the districts of Eyup, Kartal and Sisli. The results of this research shall serve to provide valuable information, from which improvements in future social housing projects can be made. In the analyses of interview and questionnaire data, seven areas were identified: (1) living conditions, (2) physical factors, (3) environmental factors, (4) comparisons for social relationships, (5) access to services, (6) economic factors, (7) general satisfaction. At the completion of the research, it was found that the users seemed to be more satisfied with the physical factors than the social factors following the demolition of the slums. This study is important insofar as it helps to show that some methods are essential to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of social housing produced by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. In addition, the study may enable practitioners and policy makers to identify ways of improving the quality of life for social housing residents and the sustainability of new social housing developments.
