Urban Low-Cost Housing Effect Mental Health

Abstract

As the number of people moving to urban areas increases by the year, it also increases the prevalence of mental health problems worldwide. Low-income groups in urban areas have had to choose to live in low-cost housing due to the higher cost of living. This study aims to understand the effect of living in lowcost housing. The objectives are to study and analyse mental health conditions for the low-income group living in low-cost housing in an urban area. This study was conducted at the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnaire used is an adaptation of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the sample selection used homogenous sampling. The site selection is based on the housing scheme's characteristics: location, density, property age, and surrounding land use. The data collected were analysed using correlation analysis to determine the relationship between urban low-cost housing living and mental health. The results have shown that 57.8 per cent of the respondents have depression, 65.7 per cent have anxiety, and 55.9 per cent have stress with various severity. The findings show that low-cost housing associated with poorer mental health is caused by several factors.

The Mental Health Index across the Italian Regions in the ESG Context

“…High housing costs relative to income can lead to financial stress, which in turn has detrimental effects on mental health. Ghazali et al (2021) focuses on the mental health conditions of low-income groups living in low-cost housing in Kuala Lumpur. It reveals that a significant percentage of residents experience depression, anxiety, and stress, which are exacerbated by the conditions of their living environment, highlighting the broader impact of housing affordability on mental health.…”

Investigating the Influence of Homebuyers’ Sociodemographic Factors on Preferences of Sustainable Affordable Housing

“…The United Nations (2022) asserts that harmonizing economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental conservation is key to sustainable development, while these interrelated factors are vital to individual and societal well-being. Urbanisation has limited the supply of housing, land, and green spaces, which cannot accommodate the growing population (Ghazali et al, 2021). Owing to land scarcity, housing affordability remains a significant issue in urban centres.…”

Challenges in Managing University Land Use to Generate Income: A Review

“…Land use control is essential for every city worldwide (Kono et al, 2019). Land use control is a method used by authorities to control land development in their area (Williamson et al, 2010;Kono et al, 2019;Ghazali et al, 2021). According to Kono et al (2019), authorities have various purposes for controlling land use.…”

“…According to Kono et al (2019), authorities have various purposes for controlling land use. The objectives are to control environmental pollution, provide a balanced city infrastructure and increase the city's static value (Kono et al, 2019;Ghazali et al, 2021). Therefore, land use control is a method used by governments to achieve a goal in their country.…”

“…One of the challenges is complying with land legislation and regulations. Land legislation and regulations are a method used by authorities to control land development in their area (Pejabat Daerah Tapah, 2007;Williamson et al, 2010;Kono et al, 2019;Ghazali et al, 2021). Based on Section 18 Town and Country Planning Act 1976 TCP 1976, local authorities have the power to restrict a person from using land or building except according to local plans.…”