Land use planning in provision of affordable housing for middle income households in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The literature review identifies a particular problem concerning housing affordability among middle-income earners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Realising that affordable housing accessibility is an acute problem among the middle-income group; the government has initiated several policies and housing programs. Advocates believe that successful growth management can provide housing for the middle-income households via effective and comprehensive planning through the adoption of appropriate land use planning and housing policies. Nonetheless, no study has assessed if relationships exist between housing policies, land use planning, and middle-income housing outcomes within the Malaysian context. As such, this thesis probed into how land use planning offers affordable housing for the middle-income group in Kuala Lumpur. Through the implementation of relevant housing policies and strategies, the land use planning system should address the needs and demands for affordable housing amidst middle-income households in this city. A structured interview was carried out to eight agencies responsible for providing affordable housing. This was followed by an analysis on housing affordability in Kuala Lumpur. Six housing policies that governed affordable housing programs deployed by various agencies were assessed. This study appears to be the first to systematically review housing policies in Malaysia and to evaluate the performance of affordable housing programs stipulated in these policies. The roles of planning and providing affordable housing through land use planning were mapped against agencies and policies. This comparative analysis offers in-depth understanding regarding the effectiveness and the comprehensiveness of institutional and governing factors in providing affordable housing for the middle-income group. Lastly, the Local Plan (LP) land use planning of Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding municipalities that supported the housing demands for Kuala Lumpur had been analysed. An evaluation framework for the LPs was built to assess the effectiveness of the land use planning in providing the middle-income housing. This study revealed that the formal housing market in Kuala Lumpur failed to provide affordable housing for the middle-income group. The price-to-income ratio for the middle-income households in Kuala Lumpur seemed to fall in the seriously to severely unaffordable category. Housing programs by the agencies were uncoordinated and the National Housing Policy (NHP) was ineffective. Nevertheless, three policies, namely Federal Territory housing (RUMAWIP), Malaysia PR1MA Corporation (PR1MA), and Rumah Selangorku, were capable of delivering affordable housing to the middleincome group because the provision for middle-income housing is stated explicitly in the policies. Unfortunately, five of the policies were not linked to the land use planning framework at the local authority level, except Rumah Selangorku. Thus, in ensuring delivery, the final provision for the middleincome housing programs would need to fit the present LP land use planning, which should have been planned together in the beginning. This study offers good feedback to the government by providing them relevant information for improvement to the provision of affordable housing for the middle-income group in Kuala Lumpur.

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