A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ANALYSIS OF BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING (SAH)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1307Keywords:
stakeholders, affordability, sustainability, economics, environmentalAbstract
The growing demand for affordable housing and rising environmental concerns, particularly in most developing countries, have resulted in the insistence on having Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) regulations. This scenario is also applicable in the Malaysian context. Since the Eleventh Malaysia Plan, the development of affordable housing has gradually improved. To accomplish appropriate urban growth, housing affordability must also be sustainable. This research aims to examine the challenges associated with the adoption of SAH from the viewpoints of the key participants, who are the government, developers, and homeowners (householders). This research also applies the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model to analyse 29 related publications, highlighting the challenges of incorporating sustainable practices into affordable housing across different demographics, contexts and legislative operations. Therefore, this paper identified six (6) major barriers and thirty-nine (39) challenges that need to be considered. These barriers include lack of funds, insufficient knowledge and technology, lack of education and awareness, limited accessibility and land use planning, lack of enforcement and efforts, as well as land cost and assessment. This had impeded the development of SAH. Therefore, future research will focus on the integrated strategies to motivate the implementation of SAH development.
References
[1] Adabre, M.A., Chan, A.P.C. (2020): Towards a sustainability assessment model for affordable housing projects: The perspective of professionals in Ghana. – Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 27(9): 2523-2551.
[2] Adabre, M.A., Chan, A.P.C. (2019): Critical success factors (CSFs) for sustainable affordable housing. – Building and Environment 156: 203-214.
[3] Adabre, M.A., Chan, A.P.C., Edwards, D.J., Adinyira, E. (2021): Assessing critical risk factors (CRFs) to sustainable housing: The perspective of a sub-Saharan African country. – Journal of Building Engineering 41: 18p.
[4] Adetooto, J., Windapo, A., Pomponi, F. (2022): Barrier to the use of sandbag material technologies as a sustainable affordable housing solution: Perspectives from South Africa. – EPiC Series in Built Environment 3: 722-730.
[5] Alias, N.H., Basrah, N., Majid, R.A., Rahim, N.A. (2021): The application of social attribute on sustainable affordable housing (SAH): Klang Valley area, Malaysia context. – IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 685(1): 11p.
[6] Almeida, S.J., Ho, S.W., Cheah, S.L. (2017): Affordable housing: Challenges and the way forward. – BNM Quarterly Bulletin, Economic and Financial Developments in the Malaysian Economy in the Fourth Quarter of 2017 8p.
[7] Anthony, J. (2023): Housing affordability and economic growth. – Housing Policy Debate 33(5): 1187-1205.
[8] Azman, N., Che Kasim, A., Mohamad @ Masri, M.H., Aliasak, M.H.H., Sa’ad, M.F. (2023): The barriers in adopting sustainable affordable housing (SAH) development: An article review. – International Journal of Business and Technology Management 5(S2): 11p.
[9] Barbier, E.B. (1987): The concept of sustainable economic development. – Environmental Conservation 14(2): 101-110.
[10] Bashir, S., Sarker, T., Talib, M.N.A., Akram, U. (2023): Financing options for green and affordable housing (GAH): An exploratory study of South Asian economies. – Sustainability 15(15): 20p.
[11] Boswell, S. (2009): School SLPs “Know It and Show It.” – The ASHA Leader 14(12): 18p.
[12] Cahyani, D.R., Rarasati, A.D. (2021): Sustainability and affordability analysis for One Million Housing Program: A case in Cileungsi District, Bogor Regency, West Java. – IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 794(1): 10p.
[13] Chan, A.P.C., Adabre, M.A. (2019): Bridging the gap between sustainable housing and affordable housing: The required critical success criteria (CSC). – Building and Environment 151: 112-125.
[14] Ezennia, I.S. (2022): Insights of housing providers’ on the critical barriers to sustainable affordable housing uptake in Nigeria. – World Development Sustainability 1: 15p.
[15] Fuhry, L., Wells, W. (2013): Green goes mainstream in low-income housing. – Planning 79(9): 31-35.
[16] Gan, X., Zuo, J., Wu, P., Wang, J., Chang, R., Wen, T. (2017): How affordable housing becomes more sustainable? A stakeholder study. – Journal of Cleaner Production 162: 427-437.
[17] Goh, K.C., Seow, T.W., Goh, H.H. (2013): Challenges of implementing sustainability in Malaysian housing industry. – International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment for Now and the Future (SBE2013), Hanoi 8p.
[18] Golubchikov, O., Badyina, A. (2012): Sustainable housing for sustainable cities: A policy framework for developing countries. – UN-Habitat, Nairobi 82p.
[19] Hafez, F.S., Sa’di, B., Safa-Gamal, M., Taufiq-Yap, Y.H., Alrifaey, M., Seyedmahmoudian, M., Stojcevski, A., Horan, B., Mekhilef, S. (2023): Energy efficiency in sustainable buildings: A systematic review with taxonomy, challenges, motivations, methodological aspects, recommendations, and pathways for future research. – Energy Strategy Reviews 45: 29p.
[20] Isalou, A.A., Litman, T., Shahmoradi, B. (2014): Testing the housing and transportation affordability index in a developing world context: A sustainability comparison of central and suburban districts in Qom, Iran. – Transport Policy 33: 33-39.
[21] Kitchenham, B., Charters, S. (2007): Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering. – EBSE Technical Report EBSE-2007-01 57p.
[22] Kothari, D.P., Pathak, A. (2021): Green building construction in India and benefits of sustainable building materials. – Journal of Mechanics of Continua and Mathematical Sciences 16(4): 15p.
[23] Leonavičienė, E., Burinskienė, A., Peleckis, K. (2022): The role of national culture as an indicator of evidence of sustainable development. – Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia 22(2): 146-167.
[24] Li, X., Liu, Y., Wilkinson, S., Liu, T. (2019): Driving forces influencing the uptake of sustainable housing in New Zealand. – Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 26(1): 46-65.
[25] Tareke, K.M., Baraki, G.A. (2024): Affordability and accessibility of condominium housing in urban Ethiopia using a combined transportation and housing cost (CHT) index model: Implication for sustainable urban infrastructure, policy and development. – International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development 16(1): 38-61.
[26] Musaddad, H.A., Maamor, S., Zainol, Z. (2025): An analysis of housing affordability in Malaysia: Random effect approach. – Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research 16(6): 1017-1033.
[27] Mushanga, S., Oloke, O.C., Olukanni, D.O. (2024): A review of sustainable housing preferences and affordability. – IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1342(1): 10p.
[28] Ng, M.Y., Mohamad, J., Goh, H.C. (2017): Indicators of sustainable housing development (SHD): A review and conceptual framework. – International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research 8(9): 306-316.
[29] Oluleye, I.B., Ogunleye, M.B., Oyetunji, A.K. (2021): Evaluation of the critical success factors for sustainable housing delivery: Analytic hierarchy process approach. – Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology 19(5): 1044-1062.
[30] Oluleye, I.B., Oyetunji, A.K., Ogunleye, B.M., Olukolajo, M.A. (2021): Real estate developers insight on the critical barriers to sustainable housing delivery. – Real Estate Management and Valuation 29(2): 84-96.
[31] Ferlito, T.-L., Musonda, I., Tjebane, M.M., Onososen, A. (2022): Systematic literature review on sustainable construction strategies for the development of affordable housing. – Proceedings of the 12th Construction Industry Development Board Postgraduate Research Conference (CITC-12) 9p.
[32] Reid, A. (2023): Closing the affordable housing gap: Identifying the barriers hindering the sustainable design and construction of affordable homes. – Sustainability 15(11): 27p.
[33] Saliu, I., Akiomon, E. (2022): Sustainable housing in developing countries: A reality or a mirage. – In: Almusaed, A., Almssad, A. (eds.), Sustainable Housing, IntechOpen 14p.
[34] Sunday, D., Lim, N.H.A.S., Mazlan, A.N. (2021): Sustainable affordable housing strategies for solving low-income earners housing challenges in Nigeria. – Estudios de Economía Aplicada 39(4): 15p.
[35] Syed Jamaludin, S.Z.H., Hamid, S.H.A., Mohd Noor, S.N.A. (2020): Assessing the challenges of integration affordable and sustainable housing from economic perspectives. – IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 498(1): 8p.
[36] Syed Jamaludin, S.Z.H., Mahayuddin, S.A., Hamid, S.H.A. (2018): Challenges of integrating affordable and sustainable housing in Malaysia. – IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 140(1): 8p.
[37] Trudeau, D. (2018): Integrating social equity in sustainable development practice: Institutional commitments and patient capital. – Sustainable Cities and Society 41: 601-610.
[38] UN-Habitat (2021): The role of land in achieving adequate and affordable housing. – United Nations Human Settlements Programme 54p.
[39] Wallbaum, H., Ostermeyer, Y., Salzer, C., Zea Escamilla, E. (2012): Indicator based sustainability assessment tool for affordable housing construction technologies. – Ecological Indicators 18: 353-364.
[40] Wijesooriya, N., Brambilla, A. (2021): Bridging biophilic design and environmentally sustainable design: A critical review. – Journal of Cleaner Production 283: 16p.
[41] Yang, J., Yang, Z. (2015): Critical factors affecting the implementation of sustainable housing in Australia. – Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 30(2): 275-292.
[42] Zaharin, P.M.B., Perez Gutierrez, M.C., Mohamed Rafie, M.F., Kasmuri, K. (2026): Housing crisis paradox: A comparative analysis of Malaysia and Spain. – Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal 11(36): 75-92.
[43] Abidin, N.Z. (2010): Investigating the awareness and application of sustainable construction concept by Malaysian developers. – Habitat International 34(4): 421-426.
[44] Zulkepli, M., Abdul Rahman, M.S. (2025): Balancing affordability and sustainability: Unveiling homebuyers’ preferences for green affordable housing criteria and features. – Planning Malaysia 23(38): 19p.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 NAJMA AZMAN, NOR NAZIHAH CHUWENI, MOHD HASROL HAFFIZ ALIASAK, MOHAMMAD FITRY MD WADZIR, NOR AINI SALLEH, JUNAINAH MOHAMAD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
