Subjective evaluations of Syrian refugees on residential satisfaction: an exploratory study in an ethnic enclave in Turkey

Hosting the world’s largest Syrian refugee population, Turkey has not introduced a housing policy to address permanently the housing needs of Syrian urban refugees. The aim of this exploratory study, focusing on a case study in a Syrian ethnic enclave in Ankara, was to provide insights into Syrians’ housing conditions and needs while further seeking to establish from their perspectives the determinants of their residential satisfaction (RS). Face-to-face in-depth interviews with 38 Syrian refugees uncovered perceptions and experiences of the resident, dwelling and neighborhood components of RS. The content analysis revealed perceptual attributes of RS, while descriptive statistics displayed the frequencies of citation and the mean RS scores. The study found that Syrians were able to sustain cultural values, identity and social relations through a combination of their own self-settlement strategies and certain neighborhood characteristics, including access to labor and housing markets, aid/subsidies and mosques, low cost of living, the existence of co-ethnics, solidarity networks and peaceful relations with natives, and living in an ethnic enclave. This resulted in RS, which was positively influenced by adaptations made inside/outside the dwelling, detached houses with yards providing privacy, additional housework and socialization space, and large, comfortable, newly-built flats. Conversely, dissatisfaction resulted from the high percentage of rent in the family budget, the existence of unofficial realtors, security problems including the decrease in police services following the departure of Turkish residents, deterioration in dwellings, and the risk of demolitions in the neighborhood’s renewal process. Most of the neighborhood and dwelling features in the field met Syrians’ needs and aspirations, even to the extent that satisfaction levels exceeded expectations.