Abstract: Submission #6

Abstract Particularly in South Africa, vulnerable populations contend with a nexus of interrelated vulnerabilities. As they age, senior citizens require optimum social care in safe and secure housing and neighbourhoods. UN SDG 11 stresses that as part of social policy, adequate housing is the bedrock for inclusive development to mitigate a myriad of physical and psychosocial risks particularly for vulnerable populations. Employing a human rights perspective, this qualitative study explored the intersection of housing and subjective wellbeing for older persons in a low-income community in Johannesburg. Data were collected from nine participants utilising semi-structured interviews. After transcription, it was analysed through content analysis. The study found out that the quality of housing and neighbourhood environment influenced their perceptions of vulnerability. Risks to sexual abuse was determined by overcrowding, for example. In conclusion, housing is not only just brick and mortar but also undergirds key social and economic relations that mitigate vulnerabilities.