A STUDY OF OVERCROWDING FACTORS IN PUBLIC LOW-COST HOUSING IN MALAYSIA

N. F. Azmi, S. N. Ruslee, Y. A. Shamsul Harumain, S. N. Kamaruzzaman, S. J.L. Chua, C. P. Au-Yong

Abstract


The provision of affordable and quality housing has been a major focus of Malaysian government in ensuring overall well-being especially for the B40 households. Despite efforts by the government, many of these buildings are overcrowded and thus inimical to people’s health and wellbeing. Therefore, this study attempts to identify contributing factors to overcrowding problem which affect individuals’ quality of life. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 122 households from two different public low-cost housing in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; to examine the causes that lead to cramped living condition. Using the quantitative Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, the study demonstrates proximity to workplace and expensive rental housing as the main factors that contribute to overcrowding problems. The result also shows that a majority of the residents are disagreed with the current standard of measuring overcrowding. The paper concludes with the recommendation that the approach to overcome overcrowding problem should seeks not only perceptions of the decision making groups but also public at large. 


Keywords


low-cost housing; overcrowding; people housing project; regulation

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