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Moderating effect of government policy on the relationship between low-cost housing demand-supply gap and COVID-19 impact

Mohamad Shaharudin Samsurijan (School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia)
Radin Badaruddin Radin Firdaus (School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia)
Mohd Isa Rohayati (National Higher Education Research Institute Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia)
Andrew Ebekozien (School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia) (Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa) (Department of Quantity Surveying, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Nigeria)
Clinton Aigbavboa (Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa)

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment

ISSN: 2046-6099

Article publication date: 12 April 2023

182

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 impact across major sectors did not exempt the low-cost housing (LCH) sub-sector. This may have increased the existing LCH demand-supply gap, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia. Studies showed that government policy (GP) aids in mitigating COVID-19 impact on goods and services, including housing-related issues. However, there is an academic literature scarcity regarding GP on LCH demand-supply gap during the COVID-19 crisis in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to investigate the moderating effect of GP on the relationship between LCH demand-supply gap and COVID-19 impact in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The research utilised a quantitative method in collating the data from four major cities in Malaysia. SmartPLS was utilised to analyse the usable 305 questionnaires retrieved from respondents. Structuralist Theory supported the developed framework.

Findings

Findings show that GP moderates the relationships between the LCH demand-supply gap and COVID-19 impact on Malaysia's low-income groups' (LIGs) homeownership delivery. It implies that the study's findings provide more understanding of issues influencing LCH demand-supply gap in the COVID-19 era via applying GP to mitigate the gap and improve homeownership for the disadvantaged.

Practical implications

The study intends to stir policymakers toward formulating policies and programmes that will mitigate LCH demand-supply gap during the present and future pandemics.

Originality/value

Besides the theoretical value of the developed model, policymakers can use the study's recommendations to mitigate future LCH demand-supply gaps during pandemics in developing countries using Malaysia as a case study.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the respondents for providing scholarly contributions to enhance the findings of this paper. Also, the authors appreciate the comments, suggestions, and recommendations provided by the anonymous reviewers, which helped hone and strengthen the quality of this manuscript during the blind peer-review process. Lastly, the lead author appreciate Auchi Polytechnic Management for creating the enabling environment to do quality research.

Funding: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and CIDB Centre of Excellence (05-35-061890), University of Johannesburg, South Africa and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

Citation

Samsurijan, M.S., Radin Firdaus, R.B., Rohayati, M.I., Ebekozien, A. and Aigbavboa, C. (2023), "Moderating effect of government policy on the relationship between low-cost housing demand-supply gap and COVID-19 impact", Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-07-2022-0154

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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