Sustainable and affordable housing is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities. It is critical that housing policy and guidelines support environmentally sound housing that takes into account socio-cultural and economic issues. Therefore, the concept of the SDGs should be embedded in housing policy and guidelines, particularly for the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR), with a focus on environmentally friendly design and green technology. If supported by government policies, community acceptance of such ideology can serve as a catalyst for a smooth transition to sustainable housing. However, despite numerous government plans and initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs, urban B40 residents in PPR housing continue to face issues related to sustainable living conditions such as poor waste management, unpractical housing layout design, a low level of accessibility, and severe overcrowding in residential areas. This situation, however, is unsurprising given that the government has designated PPRs as low-income housing — but without special government intervention, the quality of life in PPR communities will deteriorate. Therefore, providing PPR that is developed or revitalized in line with sustainable principles will contribute to better living of urban B40 in Malaysia.
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