The linkage between income, purchasing power, housing satisfaction and urban residents’ well-being in Georgetown, Penang / Nur Atifah Jamalludin, Mohd Nazir Rabun and Nursyahirah Rosli

The urbanization process has had a significant impact on people's economic, social, and well-being worldwide, especially in urban areas. This process tends to bring changes to the social lives of urban residents. Urbanization is a global phenomenon, and Malaysia is no exception. The migration of people from rural to urban areas is a significant aspect of the urbanization process, as there are many opportunities and advancements. However, rapid urbanization and high population density have a negative impact on the well-being of people living in urban areas. Therefore, this study aims to examine how income, purchasing power and housing satisfaction affect the urban residents’ well-being in Georgetown, Penang. This study used a quantitative method, purposive and convenience sampling, and received 200 completed questionnaires, resulting in a 100% response rate. The result shows a significant positive relationship between purchasing power, housing satisfaction, and urban residents’ well-being. Monthly income alone did not indicate a relationship with urban residents’ well-being. Results also show that housing satisfaction is the main factor affecting urban residents’ well-being. There were also limitations identified in this study. First, the limitation is the location of the research, which is mainly focusing on the urban residents in Georgetown, Penang. The study exclusively examined three independent variables. Next, the group of respondents was limited to only 18 years old and older and quantitative method is used to analyse the data. In conclusion, several recommendations have been proposed regarding the role of policymakers in creating a policy that focuses on housing projects which includes green areas and facilities to access public goods. Engagement with NGOs is also important to create awareness about sustainable urban areas.