Resident's Perception on Foreign Workers Housing in High Rise Residential Building

Abstract

High rise residential building has become a norm in the urban areas. In Malaysia, more than 30% of the urban population is currently living in stratified buildings, especially where urban land is scarce and expensive. Moreover, despite of landscape change and urbanisation process, there are several high rise properties in urban area that have been converted into foreign workers housing. It may affect the local communities and have a positive and negative impact to the social neighbourhood sustainability. Therefore, this study focuses on the residents' perceptions of foreign workers housing on social aspects, and qualitatively finds the action taken by building management body in addressing the issues. The study was located at the one of high rise properties in Klang Valley, namely Mandy Villa Apartment. The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were the techniques employed to collect data, and the findings revealed the problems affecting the comfort and quality of living among strata residents. In this sense, the management has taken several actions to solve the problems, therefore, the stakeholders have to oversee the misuse of strata unit for future sustainable living in the urban area.