A sustainable post-disaster housing development framework for an indigenous Hao-Cha community in Taiwan: considering culture and livelihood in housing extensions

Abstract

[Purpose] Several post-disaster housing extension and modification studies have indicated that owner-driven modification behavior relates to socio-economic and livelihood factors. This study aims to clarify housing extension patterns and examine the relationships among spatial characteristics, sociocultural factors, livelihood factors and housing extensions. This research also highlights the implications of post-disaster housing design for indigenous communities. [Design/methodology/approach] An indigenous community case study was conducted using a literature review. Moreover, interview surveys and housing measurements were implemented based on purposive sampling to diversify interviewees’ backgrounds and the extent of housing extensions. [Findings] This study confirms that housing extensions are closely related to the number of household members and their associated functions and cultural and livelihood factors that were ignored during the design stage. Furthermore, the housing extension process was confirmed to match households’ economic recovery. A post-disaster housing implementation framework for the indigenous population is proposed. [Research limitations/implications] This research only targeted one indigenous community with a limited number of interviewees and samples because of the connection with households. [Practical implications] The study’s proposed resilience post-disaster housing framework can be used to develop post-disaster housing design guidelines, which can benefit policymaking. The proposed participatory concept can be further adopted in future disaster risk-reduction programs. [Originality/value] This study uniquely focuses on the pre- and post-disaster housing layout and the livelihood of an indigenous community. It offers valuable insights for post-disaster reconstruction planners and practitioners.