J Hum Ecol, 78(1-3): 37-47 (2022) DOI: 10.31901/24566608.2022/78.1-3.3339 © JHE 2022 PRINT: ISSN 0970-9274 ONLINE: ISSN 2456-6608 Impact of Housing Location on Older Persons’ Perceptions of Safety, Privacy and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Alexander, North of Johannesburg Mziwandile Sobantu * and Ndangwa Noyoo * University of Johannesburg, Department of Social Work and Community Development, Johannesburg, South Africa ORCID: 0000-0002-8516-4623, E-mail: sobantu.mzwandile@gmail.com University of Cape Town, Department of Social Development, Cape Town, South Africa ORCID: 0000-0002-4549-4863, E-mail: ndangwa.noyoo@uct.ac.za KEYWORDS Housing. Older Persons. Social Exclusion. Wellbeing, South Africa ABSTRACT In their old age, senior citizens require adequate housing that promotes their wellbeing, and this study seeks to examine the impact of housing location on older adults’ safety, security and psychosocial wellbeing. This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews to collect data from nine older persons residing in Alexander, North of Johannesburg in South Africa. Data were transcribed and analysed based on emergent themes. Among other factors, the study found out that housing quality and the level of crime in their neighbourhood determine the wellbeing of older persons. While participants who lived with their grandchildren felt safer, some expressed a lower sense of privacy due to overcrowding. One participant who lived alone but in formal housing expressed a higher sense of safety and security. As most older persons were direct victims of colonial and apartheid exclusion, thoughtful integrated social policies are imperative in leveraging their housing needs and overall wellbeing. Address for correspondence: Dr Mziwandile Sobantu PhD Department of Social Work & Community Development, University of Johannesburg, P O Box 524, Auckland Park 2006 Tel: 0027733382561, 0027115592414 (O) E-mail: sobantu.mzwandile@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Improvements in nutrition and health care have resulted in longer life expectancy as evi- denced by the growing global population of old- er adults. In 2018, the United States (US) Cen- sus Bureau (2018) projected that by 2035, the US population of people aged 65 years and old- er will outstrip that of children under 18 years old. A similar trend of elderly population spike was reported by the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (DESA) (2020) which estimated it at 727 million, projecting it to be over 1.5 billion by 2050. Sub-Saharan Africa is said to have recorded a huge increase in older adults due to remarkable improvements in life expectancy (DESA 2020). These are unprece- dented demographic shifts that demand gov- ernments to quickly cater to the needs and the wellbeing of the growing number of older adults in their respective countries. One area of such needs is housing especially as the Sustainable Development Goals stress housing as a basic need that fosters inclusion and promote the socio-economic rights for older adults. Housing is critical for older adults, some of whom are frail, have limited mobility due to old age-related comorbidities and disabilities. Hous- ing is more than just brick and mortar; it forms part of complex discourses which incorporate shelter, the community, the personal and a nex- us of relations that yield either negative or sup- portive meanings to the occupants. Housing and its location matter in social policy as part of a transformational agenda to build inclusive soci- eties notably for older adults, vulnerable and marginalised groups in South Africa (Noyoo and Sobantu 2019). South Africa has deeply frag- mented urban spaces due to the legacy of force- ful relocation of black people through the 1913 Native Land Act to overcrowded and poorly re- source townships (Davenport 1991; Parnell 1991). The locational disadvantage has locked many black people into these perilous and squalid living arrangements. Thus, most houses and neighbourhoods are not adapted to the needs