HOME, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE LOSS OF COMMUNITY: A TRAUMA-INFORMED HOUSING STUDY WITH REFUGEE CHILDREN IN RESETTLEMENT

Abstract

Housing plays a central role in refugee integration, shaping psychological well-being, social belonging, and everyday adaptation during resettlement. However, limited research has examined how refugee children experience housing and neighborhood environments as sources of safety, belonging, or stress. Many refugee children carry the effects of displacement, conflict, and prolonged instability, which shape how they interpret safety, predictability, mobility, and community connection in daily life. Although Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a widely acknowledged humanitarian response (Burgund Isakov & Markovic, 2024; Im & Swan, 2021) Towards refugee children's post-traumatic disorders during their resettlement to provide safe and welcoming attitudes. However, TIC is mainly designed for clinical health, institutional (e.g., school), and social caregiving contexts, overlooking the TIC from a built-environment perspective. At the same time, it is already acknowledged that the physical environment may either trigger trauma or promote healing for individuals in refugee communities. Past research has not explored how TIC can be integrated into refugee resettlement studies and practice. (Im & Swan, 2021). Despite the burgeoning interest in embracing TIC, there is apparent inconsistency and inexperience in TIC in the context of refugee programming, which corroborates previous research on the lack of consensus on culturally competent refugee services. (Lau & Rodgers, 2021) and community capacity for appropriate and effective services (Guevara et al., 2021; Hanson & Lang, 2016). Thus, this study aims to explore refugee children's perceived well-being through a built-environment lens, using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a benchmark to understand the scales of the built environment, refugee children's day-to-day activities, and their psychological connection to it. This qualitative participatory study explored: (1) how refugee children and caregivers describe pre migration housing and neighborhood experiences and their effects on emotional wellbeing; (2) how current home and neighborhood environments shape refugee children’s daily routines, safety, belonging, and overall wellbeing during resettlement; and (3) how refugee children cope with current housing conditions and experience stress, anxiety, depression, and mental and physical wellbeing in post migration contexts and 4) how refugee children interpreted trauma-informed home an neighborhood in their post migration context. The main goal is to explore the refugee children’s dream of trauma-informed housing in their resettlement context. Guided by trauma-informed care principles and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study engaged 9 Zomi refugee children and 13 mothers over the past 5 years across 6 neighborhoods in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Data were collected through four participatory methods: (1) closed and open-ended questionnaires with mothers, (2) mothers' photovoice, (3) a children’s creative design workshop, and (4) field observations between January 6 and March 2nd, 2024. Fieldwork occurred over five trips from Norman to Tulsa every Saturday, scheduled based on participant availability. The first visit focused on building trust with the cultural liaison, while subsequent visits included interviews, surveys, and photovoice activities. This study went through the IRB protocol set by the University of Oklahoma. Findings reveal that refugee children associate well-being with emotionally safe and community-oriented environments that support privacy, family togetherness, cultural identity, outdoor play, mobility, and social connection. Children emphasized the importance of shared community life, proximity to relatives and peers, walkable environments, access to parks and public amenities, and opportunities for interaction and exploration. In contrast, overcrowding, poor housing maintenance, environmental discomfort, social isolation, and limited opportunities for outdoor activity and collective interaction acted as ongoing stressors that intensified emotional distress and recalled past experiences of instability and displacement. The findings further reveal that materially improved housing conditions do not automatically ensure emotional well-being when social belonging and community connection are weakened during resettlement. The study contributes theoretically by extending trauma-informed design and refugee wellbeing literature through a socio-spatial understanding of refugee children’s healing and belonging. It challenges linear interpretations of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by demonstrating that social connection and belonging function as foundational survival resources rather than secondary needs within refugee contexts. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study contributes by showing that refugee children’s resource loss is not only material or social, but also spatial. Methodologically, the study contributes through participatory and child-centered approaches that foreground refugee children's lived experiences and spatial perceptions. Design-wise, the study proposes trauma-informed housing and neighborhood strategies aligned with UNICEF’s Child Friendly City framework, emphasizing social connection, safe mobility, collective life, play, and community-centered environments to support refugee children’s long-term well-being and resilience during resettlement. This study further contributes to refugee resettlement practice by showing that housing placement should move beyond immediate shelter provision. It argues that trauma-informed resettlement planning must consider children’s spatial, cultural, and emotional needs, including privacy, play, walkability, community proximity, and belonging. Policy-wise, the study also contributes to refugee resettlement policy and practice by informing trauma-informed and child-centered housing approaches aligned with U.S. Healthy People 2030 goals and the CDC Healthy Housing Inspection Manual. The findings emphasize the importance of safe, healthy, socially connected, and supportive housing and neighborhood environments in promoting refugee children’s long-term physical, emotional, and social well-being during resettlement. Keywords: Refugees, built environment, well-being, child-friendly built environment, trauma-informed care, and design