A comparison of residents satisfaction with temporary housing: A case study of two temporary housing types in southern Taiwan

As the world faces an increasing threat of natural disasters, temporary housing has become an important transitional space to assist disaster refugees in rebuilding their lives. This study explores how to measure the performance of temporary housing. After the 2009 Typhoon Morakot disaster in Taiwan, a non-profit organization in southern Taiwan constructed two types of single-story temporary houses. The participants were people who resided in these houses. This research first employed a questionnaire survey and participant observations on life satisfaction. Engineering experimental measurements to evaluate and compare the environmental deficiencies identified by the survey follows. The results showed that although most residents were satisfied with the overall environment, poor sound and heat insulation were common problems in temporary houses. Most importantly, fast-build temporary houses that are improperly designed and constructed may not provide a suitable living environment for refugees to begin the recovery process.