Housing conditions and extreme weather exposure in low-income communities in Gauteng Province, South Africa

This study examined the association between housing quality indicators and household exposure to extreme weather in low-income urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using baseline household-level data from 46 112 households. The primary outcome was self-reported household exposure to extreme weather (affected vs not affected). Housing quality was assessed using three indicators: dwelling type (formal vs informal), building type (single-floor vs multi-floor), and number of structures on the dwelling (single vs multiple). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs and AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Overall, 2.5% of households reported exposure to extreme weather. Exposure was higher among households in informal dwellings (4.9%) than formal dwellings (1.6%). In adjusted analyses, informal dwellings were associated with three times higher odds of exposure (AOR = 3.02; 95% CI: 2.67-3.41), while multiple-structure sites had 74% higher odds of exposure (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.42-2.14). In contrast, multi-floor buildings had lower odds of exposure (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.38-0.49). These findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Informal dwellings and multiple-structure sites were associated with increased exposure to extreme weather.