Vulnerability assessment of public rental housing (Rusunawa) residents in facing the risk of COVID-19 transmission (Case study of Surabaya)

This study focused on assessing the vulnerability of public rental housing (Rusunawa) residents facing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The level of vulnerability was measured through a Weighted Scoring Method (WSM), which considered various aspects that set Rusunawa apart, such as elderly population, occupancy rate, overcrowding, the number of confirmed positive cases in an area, access to clean water service and jobs vulnerable to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Results showed that each of the Rusunawa had different levels of vulnerability, which was categorized into 4 clusters: Most Vulnerable (Dupak Bangunrejo and Siwalankerto), Vulnerable (Wonorejo, Pesapen, Jambangan and Dukuh Menanggal), Slightly Vulnerable (Penjaringansari, Keputih and Bandarejo) and Least Vulnerable (Romokalisari, Gununganyar and Tambak Wedi). Dupak Bangunrejo Rusunawa was identified to be one of the most vulnerable Rusunawa towards COVID-19 transmission in comparison to other Rusunawa due to a high amount of older people, high occupancy rate and population density. In contrast, Siwalankerto Rusunawa was caused due to a higher amount older people in conjunction with its residents working in job sectors vulnerable to the virus and the number of confirmed COVID--19 positive case in its area.