Samenvatting

Malaysia’s urban poor have been successfully rehoused in high-rise buildings during the country’s rapid development. However, quality of life and livelihoods in these complexes are deteriorating, widening inequalities. Considering housing as a complex system, this case study designed an iterative place-based community-building initiative with residents, covering multiple dimensions. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated residents’ vulnerabilities, from job losses to food security. In turn, the programme restructured to meet residents’ emerging needs, adjusting existing plans. Surprisingly, pandemic-related programme changes also had positive outcomes. We share insights for methodology, implementation, scalability, policy implications, evaluation, and funding from a praxis perspective.