What is determining affordable housing shortages in the Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title>
<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of the affordable housing shortage in the Greater Kuala Lumpur from the suppliers’ perspectives.</jats:p></jats:sec>
<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title>
<jats:p>Primary data were collected through a cross-sectional survey questionnaire comprising 21 determinants and 111 experts in the housing industry.</jats:p></jats:sec>
<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title>
<jats:p>The affordable housing shortages are consequences of regulations and policies on land allocations, building materials and the affordable housing market. The government should provide more lands to the developers or the government should directly build affordable housing on their lands. To lower the cost of construction, the government should reduce the importation tax and procedures, and the housing industry should find alternative building materials.</jats:p></jats:sec>
<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title>
<jats:p>Theoretically, the research provided fresh insights into the causes of housing shortages and reasons for the increase in housing prices. The results will be useful to policymakers towards affordable housing delivery and to the developers and contractors on measures to increase profit margins and increase housing supply.</jats:p></jats:sec>