Project Dates: 2010
Problem: In the Republic of Georgia, internally displaced peoples have been living in government-provided housing in the capital, Tbilisi, for more than three decades. With limited funding, we need more information about how to provide quality housing that meets the needs of this community.
Research Process: I designed survey tools to measure attitudes towards quality of life in government housing in Tbilisi. With a team, I conducted home visits to implement these surveys and perform targeted site evaluations of the standards of living conditions. The site evaluations found significant space constraints. With the additional survey, however, we found that rules barring unhoused individuals from joining their family members, rather than existing space constraints, was the biggest concern among those currently living in government housing.
Impact: My report on the need for government housing to expand access to unhoused family members was submitted to the Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO that partners with government to provide human services to the internally displaced community in Tbilisi.
Shannon M. Ward, Ph.D. 