Housing inequality, the disparity in housing due to socioeconomic factors, is a major issue in our society. Current home-finding websites (Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, etc.) only factor in physical qualities of housing (such as price and size) while ignoring location and proximity to resources.
To reduce the role of socioeconomic factors in housing decisions, we created Happy Home, a companion tool that allows users to compare the proximity of each home to a variety of places. Our tool enables prospective house buyers to consider the actual presence of the home in a greater community. Over time, this will encourage a shift in focus from socioeconomic pressures to personal preferences, thereby reducing housing inequality.
First, we tried to look for solutions to combat the housing inequality issue; however, as this disparity has deep roots in economic and societal divides, we decided that it would not be feasible to create an immediate solution. Instead, we searched for a solution that could instill change in the long run.
Throughout the project, we faced challenges in finding APIs and integrating them into a workable website. Additionally, it took a long time to develop an intuitive interface.
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