Assessing sustainable housing in rural areas of Malaysia: effects on economic benefits and social implications

Purpose The recognition of housing as an essential requirement in enhancing the quality of life of an individual has increasingly captivated scholars’ interest, particularly within the context of sustainability. However, the identification of suitable attributes of sustainable housing to be prioritized encountered challenges due to a lack of effective approach in addressing uncertainties and stakeholders’ interests. This study attempts to identify critical attributes of sustainable housing in rural areas and explore their interrelationships. Design/methodology/approach Six dimensions and 54 criteria are proposed and validated using the expert linguistic preferences through the Fuzzy Delphi Method. The Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial Evaluation Laboratory is also applied to determine the interrelationship between those attributes. Findings The result demonstrates that economic benefits strongly impacted social implications for sustainable housing. The top criteria, including government participation, reduced life cycle cost, environmental protection and local authorities’ participation, are considered to assist housing stakeholders for better sustainable practices. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies addressing the interrelationship among sustainable housing attributes through linguistic preferences in the context of rural areas.