The mixed-population issue in state-subsidized elderly housing: management problems posed by nonelderly and elderly tenants.

The management experiences of all Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) in Connecticut were investigated concerning younger disabled tenants in state-subsidized elderly housing. While as a group younger disabled tenants were more likely to violate the terms of their lease, including disrupting other tenants' enjoyment of their homes, management problems with younger disabled tenants were not reported by all LHAs. In general, serious, recurrent problems involving younger disabled tenants were concentrated among a relatively small group of LHAs. Emphasizing the diversity that characterizes the experiences of LHAs, the discussion emphasizes the need for caution in drawing conclusions about the issue of a mixed population. It also focuses on examples of how some LHAs have addressed the integration of younger disabled tenants in senior housing and proposes recommendations for viewing the issue in the broader context of public policy.     

The Mixed-Population Issue in State-Subsidized Elderly Housing: Management Problems Posed by Nonelderly and Elderly Tenants

Abstract

The management experiences of all Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) in Connecticut were investigated concerning younger disabled tenants in state-subsidized elderly housing. While as a group younger disabled tenants were more likely to violate the terms of their lease, including disrupting other tenants' enjoyment of their homes, management problems with younger disabled tenants were not reported by all LHAs. In general, serious, recurrent problems involving younger disabled tenants were concentrated among a relatively small group of LHAs. Emphasizing the diversity that characterizes the experiences of LHAs, the discussion emphasizes the need for caution in drawing conclusions about the issue of a mixed population. It also focuses on examples of how some LHAs have addressed the integration of younger disabled tenants in senior housing and proposes recommendations for viewing the issue in the broader context of public policy.     

上海老旧公房管理与运营机制研究

公房是我国计划经济年代的产物,上海直管公房、售后公房在当前管理运营中存在诸多突出问题。公房管理涉及的内容非常宽泛,包括房屋买卖置换、租金费用收缴、邻里纠纷调解、违章搭建处理以及房屋的维修维护等,是改善居民工作与生活环境、提高居住水平的基础工作,也是城市建设和管理的重要内容。完善上海老旧公房管理与运营机制,应提高物业费收缴率,加强物业管理企业自身建设,健全公房服务收费机制,加强相关政策法规的执行力度,加大政府投入,完善业主大会自治机制等。     

Alcohol policies on college campuses

State and local alcohol policies can minimize opportunities for people to use alcohol, thereby reducing consumption and alcohol-related problems. Little is known, however, about the prevalence of campus policies aimed at reducing college students' alcohol use and related problems. The authors surveyed school administrators in Minnesota and Wisconsin to assess the frequency of alcohol policies and whether institutional characteristics were likely to predict campus policies. They also compared administrators' responses to policies posted on college Web sites. Most schools prohibited beer kegs and provided alcohol-free housing for students. A minority of schools prohibited all alcohol use on campus or at Greek organizations or banned advertisements in school newspapers for alcohol or off-campus bars. The prevalence of policies varied with school characteristics, and agreement was poor between Web-site policy information and that provided by administrators. Further research on the prevalence of college alcohol policies might be useful for assessing trends and future prevention needs on campuses.     

Senior Housing in Sweden—A Question of Class Differences and Collective Aging

Abstract

Private senior housing in Sweden has become an alternative to accommodation for elderly in the public welfare system. In the study presented here, the aim was to elucidate this senior housing from the perspective of the residents. The questions that were asked were: (1) Why have the residents chosen senior housing? (2) What are the differences between residents in rental apartments and tenant-owned housing cooperatives? (3) What advantages and disadvantages do the residents think that senior housing has? The interviews showed that: (1) The seniors have chosen the housing for reasons other than its being senior housing; (2) the residents in rental apartments come from the working class and socialize in collective forms, while the residents in cooperatives come from the middle class and socialize through individual initiatives; and (3) the advantages they experience in senior housing are that it involves activities and community. The disadvantages derive from the architectural planning. When the building has a communal yard or entrance, integrity can be threatened and the sense of collective aging can be a Strain.     

Ruling out trouble: Unacceptable behaviour and its control in Hong Kong’s public housing

Resident satisfaction is contingent not only on housing design and construction, but also on neighbourhood quality. However, many neighbourhoods around the world are distressed by neighbourhood nuisances or unacceptable behaviour of the residents. While interventionist approaches and incentives have been adopted in many countries to curb these problems, a punitive measure is used in Hong Kong instead. The Housing Department launched the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Housing Estates immediately after the SARS epidemic. The scheme operates as a penalty-point system where sitting tenants will be expelled from public housing if they receive sixteen points for the misdeeds they have committed. Yet, the marking scheme itself was put onto the stage without any prior public consultation. Besides, it has been criticised for its unfair and tenure-biased enforcement. Also, whether the scheme is widely accepted is highly doubtful. Against this background, this study aims to explore the tenants’ views regarding residents’ unacceptable behaviour and the marking scheme in Hong Kong’s public housing. The findings of this research offer valuable insights into the perceived extent and causes of the neighbourhood problems. Moreover, this research lets the public administrators know the acceptability of the marking scheme among public housing tenants.     

Naturally Occurring Retirement Community-Supportive Service Program: an example of devolution

Devolution is defined as the transfer of power or authority from a central government to a local government. This article addresses federal policies on housing for the elderly and the devolution of funding for federal senior housing and describes two aspects of devolution of federal housing policy for the elderly. One, it points out the decreasing interest in senior housing by federal authorities as indicated by the decreased amount of funds allocated for this purpose. Two, it emphasizes the need for supportive, assistive services for residents of senior housing and how federal funds have not addressed this need adequately or sufficiently. As a consequence, there have emerged Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in New York State, a housing arrangement that provides supportive and health services to all eligible residents. The article concludes with a discussion of policy implications and the need for additional research before replicating this model.     

Naturally Occurring Retirement Community-Supportive Service Program

Summary

Devolution is defined as the transfer of power or authority from a central government to a local government. This article addresses federal policies on housing for the elderly and the devolution of funding for federal senior housing and describes two aspects of devolution of federal housing policy for the elderly. One, it points out the decreasing interest in senior housing by federal authorities as indicated by the decreased amount of funds allocated for this purpose. Two, it emphasizes the need for supportive, assistive services for residents of senior housing and how federal funds have not addressed this need adequately or sufficiently. As a consequence, there have emerged Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in New York State, a housing arrangement that provides supportive and health services to all eligible residents. The article concludes with a discussion of policy implications and the need for additional research before replicating this model.     

Influence of Late Life Stressors on the Decisions of Older Women to Relocate into Congregate Senior Housing

Late-life stressors often require individuals to make substantial alterations in behavior and lifestyle and can affect their overall health and well-being. Relocation is a significant life stress, regardless of age. The primary aim of this study is to elucidate the push-pull factors associated with moving into congregate senior housing. The secondary aim is to investigate the decision-making processes and stresses associated with moving into a congregate living environment. Interviews were conducted with 26 women who were new residents in congregate senior housing. Relocation, as expected, was considered to be stressful, although individual differences were found among perceptions of relocation stresses. Women who had made the decision to relocate on their own showed evidence of better psychosocial well-being at the time of the move. One-quarter of the sample chose to move to provide care to another person. As the options for senior housing continue to evolve and the number of adults reaching advanced age continues to increase, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to successful adaptation. This knowledge will enable facility administrators to implement programs and procedures to assist incoming residents with acclimating to their new homes.     

Drinking Game Participation Among Undergraduate Students Attending National Alcohol Screening Day

Abstract

Objectives, Participants, Methods: Drinking game participation has increased in popularity among college students and is associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The current study investigated drinking game participation among 133 undergraduates attending National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) in April of 2007. Results: A large percentage of the sample reported lifetime (77%) and recent (52%) drinking game participation. Males were more likely to report recent participation and reported higher levels of consumption while playing drinking games. Drinking game participants were more likely to experience a range of alcohol-related problems, and the relationship between drinking game participation and alcohol-related problems was mediated by weekly alcohol consumption. Conclusions: These results suggest that drinking game participation is a risk factor for elevated levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Programs should be developed to educate students about the risks of drinking game participation, and prevention programs like NASD should address drinking games.     

Influencing alcohol control policies and practices at community festivals

The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of two interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related risks at community festivals--a training program for festival planners and a community organizing campaign. We randomly selected four festivals for each intervention and had 24 comparison festivals. Our assessment included process evaluation to track and evaluate types of alcohol policies resulting from each of the interventions, pre and post telephone surveys of key festival planners and law enforcement agencies, and pre and post pseudo-underage and pseudo-intoxicated purchase attempts. Analyses showed that both interventions were feasible and were successful in influencing adoption of written policies and improving alcohol-related practices. However, neither intervention appeared to decrease propensity for illegal alcohol sales at these events, likely due, in part, to the short time frame of the interventions. Future research should assess effects of the interventions on alcohol-related problems and effects of enforcement interventions.     

Historical interpretations of alcohol use and misuse. implications for nursing curricula

Since the 1950's, nursing schools have been encouraged to include some formal content on alcoholism in their curricula. Yet there remains on immerse disparity between the prevalence of drug and alcohol problems in our society and the required number of hour on these topics in our nursing curricula. The International Nurses Society on Addictions calls on the nursing profession to promote healthy lifestyles for "at-risk" individuals. In a historical context, this article critiques the ambivalence related to alcohol use and misuse in the United States. Within that background, pedagogy to help nursing faculty and students meet current societal and professional demands and standards regarding intervention for alcohol-related problems will be explored. The constructivist educational and caring-educative models are highlighted.     

Impact of Environment on Social and Activity Behavior in Public Housing for the Elderly

The study examines the inter-relationshps of physical design and service environments on the social and activity behaviors of residents in public housing for the elderly. It compares the observed behavior patterns found in the common spaces of 11 apartment buildings administered by a midwest housing authority. The findings indicate that building height, number of apartment doors ajar and provision of meal service can facilitate increased resident sociability in the public spaces of senior housing buildings.     

Prevalence of alcohol-use disorders and alcohol-related problems in a college student sample

Most studies of alcohol consumption patterns and alcohol-related problems among college students have failed to include a diagnostic measure based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria. Applying the DSM-IV standards would facilitate an analysis of the prevalence of alcohol-use disorders and individual symptoms of those disorders. A structured diagnostic interview based on DSM-IV criteria (the alcohol section of the Substance Abuse Module) and several alcohol screening instruments were administered to 306 undergraduate students at an urban commuter campus. The prevalence of current and lifetime alcohol-use disorders, individual symptoms of those disorders, and other alcohol-related problems are reported, as well as data regarding alcohol consumption patterns and binge drinking. The data are analyzed in terms of demographic variables, including sex, ethnicity, year in school, age, and marital status of those in the sample.     

Racial Differences on Well-Being among Aged and Disabled Public Housing Residents

This research examined racial differences in well-being among aged and disabled public housing residents. Predictors of interest to this research included health and functional status, income and income adequacy, social integration, and residential preference and perception of environmental quality. Participants in this research included a random sample of 427 (186 white and 241 black) aged and disabled public housing residents. Findings from this research indicate that environmental perception and preference along with health are of greater importance among white residents while among blacks health and income adequacy are more critical in determining moral among aged and disabled public housing residents.     

Federal Welfare and Housing Policy at the Crossroads

Abstract

A time-series design was used to investigate an innovative, rent incentive-based employment initiative in a predominantly African American public housing community. The purpose of the research was to assess the impact of the Welfare-to-Work (W-t-W) program on resident employment levels and on Public Housing Authority (PHA) revenues and costs. Data were collected on a purposive sample of heads of household (N = 313) representing 78.3% of those in the community. Over half of the residents were under 17 years of age, followed by 24.7% who were 18-34, and 15.5% who were 35-54 years of age. Mean annual income for most participants was less than $5,000, and 60% were welfare reliant. Fifty-six percent of the participants in the study (N = 179) received monthly rent credits (discounts) ranging from $23 to $333 (m = $87, s.d. = $38.60). Employment levels in the community increased considerably over the study period and the W-t-W initiative was cost-effective to the PHA. Implications are discussed regarding advantages and limitations of intersected federal welfare and housing policies, the need for formative, evidence-based assessments of W-t-W programs, and the achievement of economic self-sufficiency of public housing residents.     

Peer,social media,and alcohol marketing influences on college student drinking

Objective: To investigate how alcohol marketing and peers may promote college students' alcohol use through social media. Participants: College students (N = 682) aged 18 to 22 years from a large Southern university completed paper surveys in April 2014. Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships among variables as well as moderation by gender and race. Results: Drinking behavior was directly related to perceived norms and attitudes toward alcohol that develop, in part, from direct and indirect interactions with their online and offline peers, as well as engagement with alcohol-related content on social media. Gender and ethnicity moderated some effects. Conclusions: College student drinking is influenced by friends' alcohol-related content posted on social networking sites and by greater engagement with traditional and online alcohol marketing. College campus alcohol misuse interventions should include components to counter peer influences and alcohol marketing on social media.     

Resident Service Coordinators: Roles and Challenges in Senior Housing

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore the challenges that Resident Service Coordinators (RSCs) encounter in senior housing and the meanings they attach to their role. Using a mixed methods approach, surveys and interviews were conducted with RSCs working in age-segregated housing in Connecticut. Survey responses indicate that, despite certain similarities, no single profile characterizes the scope of the role. Analysis of the interview data reveals 5 themes: interpersonal conflicts, mental health problems, inadequate resources, unclear policies regarding residents' rights, and inconsistencies in role definition. These results underscore the need for increased training for RSCs, and additional research is needed to understand the role and identify best practice models.