T The type 36 subsidized housing program in peri-urban areas such as bekasi regency is a solution to meet the housing needs of low-income communities (mbr). however, changing needs throughout the different stages of life prompt residents to continually adjust their living spaces. this study aims to investigate the correlation between residents’ core values (based on schwartz’s theory of basic human values) and their future homeownership plans, in relation to the intensity, characteristics, and strategies of spatial adaptation in 30 sample homes in the wahana babelan housing complex. through a qualitative approach using observation and in-depth interviews, the findings reveal that architectural transformations are driven almost exclusively by functional pragmatism to ensure family well-being (self-transcendence) and secure essential functions (conservation), with a complete absence of motivation related to social status projection (self-enhancement). residents also exhibit extreme spatial conservatism by retaining 90% to 100% of the developer’s original core layout to avoid overcapitalization and comply with regulations, while preferring to expand into the remaining exterior areas. these physical modifications divide residents into two housing paradigms: the home as a “permanent anchor” and the home as an “experimental transitional asset” for a minority group driven by the value of openness to change. this study concludes that spatial adaptation in subsidized housing is a manifestation of the negotiation between economic and sociological rationalities, leading to recommendations for the development of adaptive architectural design criteria for core homes (expandable homes) based on the typology of residents’ core values.