Effects of Personal Status and Patterns of Use on Residential Satisfaction in Shelters for Victims of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Occupant response to the architectural environments in shelters for victims of domestic violence was the subject of an empirical investigation. Personal status, a subset of daily activities, and one's use of his or her shelter were examined relative to staff and resident assessments of satisfaction. A functionalist-evolutionary perspective of human functioning in the built environment provided a theoretical foundation. A survey was completed by 101 people in shelters in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Causal relationships were explored via a series of regression analyses. Among the findings, residential satisfaction was found to be predicted by one's psycho-emotional condition and the status of one's children. Site-locational aspects associated with satisfaction included the quality of outdoor play areas for children and the sense of safety in the immediate neighborhood. In general, residents were more directly influenced by their shelter compared to staff, and second, personal status is a more useful indicator of residential satisfaction than the ways in which occupants actually use their shelter. Limitations of the research are cited as are areas warrantingtectural setting, health status, and stress in the more than 880 shelters for battered women and children in the United States.