Toward sustainable public housing: A comparison of social aspects in public housing in the United State and Libya

A house is the center of socioeconomic activities for the resident family. More than that, it is part of the physical layout of the community, reflects the society's culture, and significantly affects the residents' behavior. Public housing (PH) programs or low-income and affordable housing are a large portion of the housing in developed and less developed countries. Thus, sustainable public housing (SPH) will promote the quality of life in those societies. This paper discusses the current situation of the PH programs in the USA and Libya from a sustainable perspective, focusing on the social aspect. Some social problems in PH programs in the USA are related to discrimination and isolation. In comparison, social problems in the Libyan PH programs appear to be related to a lack of cultural sensitivity while designing the residences. The study presented here evaluates the attempts that have been applied to provide potential solutions to these social problems based on comparing the two countries' PH situations. The study highlighted how both countries could benefit from each other's PH programs. It provides recommendations that decision-makers can use to improve the PH situations. It also provides application processes based on the traditional Libyan housing (TLH) and neighborhood features in both countries that could help improve the PH social environment for current and future projects.