The Phenomenon of Informal Workers in Housing Projects During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced alterations in the real estate market. Since the pandemic, housing development in Indonesia has been negatively impacted, especially labor, which was crucial to the success of housing development. In addition, most workers in housing developments are informal workers who behave differently than formal or permanent workers. This study aimed to examine the phenomena of informal workers in housing developments during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative phenomenological approaches. Ten informal worker informants, five project supervisor in-formants, and two housing developer informants were chosen for in-depth interviews based on a preset criteria. In housing construction projects, implementing the health protocol and compliance with Occupational Health and Safety rules increased the awareness of informal workers. The fact that informal laborers prioritize health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak is encouraging for building developers. Thus, the risk of housing construction projects decreases, and it is hoped that the government’s program to build one million homes will be successful. In addition, the government can create incentive-related policies for informal employees who implemented the health protocol during the COVID-19 outbreak.
 Keywords: COVID-19, health and safety, housing project, informal workers