Throughout the world, people are migrating to find jobs and to seek a better life. As agricultural processors locate plants in rural areas with raw materials and lower labor costs, towns like Schuyler, Nebraska, are experiencing pressures. They are experiencing an increase in the number of jobs available and a shortage of affordable housing to meet the needs of a growing population.

These migration trends are reflected in recent U.S. Census estimates for Colfax County, where the population increased by an estimated 11% from 1990 to 1995. Much of the population growth can be attributed to the influx of people coming to Schuyler for work in the Excel Beef Packing Plant. The rise in population has created demands for adequate affordable housing and other municipal services and continues to be a challenge for communities like Schuyler.

Currently, there is inadequate research on relationships between the physical conditions of housing and the quality of life for local residents in towns like Schuyler. To better understand the needs and perceptions of Schuyler residents, a research team from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted a study on "Housing and the Quality of Life in Schuyler, Nebraska" between September 1995 and May 1996.