Antisocial Behavior and Resident Participation in Housing Management: A Study in Hong Kong's Private Housing Sector

The problem of antisocial behavior (ASB) or minor incivilities in housing has attracted extensive public attention in many jurisdictions. In spite of the deployment of various approaches, ranging from family intervention and probationary tenancies to statutory orders, the ASB problem still proliferates in most places. As suggested in the literature, ASB can result in reduced residential satisfaction, poor physical and mental health and social disruption. However, how ASB affects the decision or behavior of residents in housing management participation has been ignored in previous studies. Hypothetically, the impacts of ASB can influence resident participation in both directions. On one hand, residents tend to participate more actively in housing management when they cannot tolerate the ASB in their living places and want to make a The problem of antisocial behavior (ASB) or minor incivilities in housing has attracted extensive public attention in many jurisdictions. In spite of the deployment of various approaches, ranging from family intervention and probationary tenancies to statutory orders, the ASB problem still proliferates in most places. As suggested in the literature, ASB can result in reduced residential satisfaction, poor physical and mental health and social disruption. However, how ASB affects the decision or behavior of residents in housing management participation has been ignored in previous studies. Hypothetically, the impacts of ASB can influence resident participation in both directions. On one hand, residents tend to participate more actively in housing management when they cannot tolerate the ASB in their living places and want to make a change. On the other hand, proliferation of ASB problem may weaken the social tie and bonding within a residential neighborhood, leading to the dwindled willingness of the residents to participate in collective actions in housing management. This study aims to explore the link between residents' ASB perceptions and their levels of participation in housing management in private multi-owned housing (MOH) developments empirically. An analytic model illustrating how ASB perceptions can have a catalytic effect on resident participation in MOH management is developed. Based on the findings of a structured questionnaire survey on residents of private MOH in Hong Kong, the model was tested using a path-analytic technique. The analysis results show that ASB perceptions affect private housing residents' participation levels in MOH management. Policy recommendations then follow.