What 'Home' Means to Residents in the Houston Area
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The idea of “home” is a multidimensional concept that encapsulates a variety of meanings, ranging from psychological orientations and physical locations to the relationships that unfold within. In the summer of 2024, members of the Greater Houston Community Panel were surveyed and asked, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘home’?” and given an open space to write 1-2 sentences to describe what came to mind. This snapshot explores the ways in which area residents conceptualize home. In short, residents organized their thinking into four broad categories: 1) psychological orientations/attachments, 2) geographical location/built environment, 3) social relationships, and 4) activities. Additionally, while most residents have positive associations with home, some do not feel “at home” and associate the word with negative experiences, highlighting the fluid nature of home in the context of high stress.
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Niznik, A., Dawson, L., DeLisi, A., Goolsby, K. P., Njeh, J., Perez, K., Potter, D., Simburger, D., Valikhanova, A., & Williams, L. (2025). What 'Home' Means to Residents in the Houston Area. Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research. https://doi.org/10.25611/75YJ-6R46