Enjoying Your Neighbourhood During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Hong Kong Study on Housing-Related Anti-Social Behaviour

Studies have established a negative correlation between residents’ perceptions of anti-social behaviours (ASBs) and their sense of community (SOC) within their neighbourhoods. Yet, whether their relationship persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic was under-researched, when daily life significantly changed. Theoretically, the pandemic’s impact on ASB and SOC was multifaceted, as lockdowns and work-from-home arrangements led to an increased time spent at home, potentially exacerbating neighbour nuisances and vulnerability to ASB, but also fostered opportunities for community building. Residents spent more time in their neighbourhoods engaging in neighbourly interactions and mutual aid initiatives, potentially strengthening SOC. To investigate these contrasting effects, this study analysed data from two questionnaire surveys conducted among private housing residents in Hong Kong before and after the onset of the pandemic. It finds that perceived ASB seriousness and SOC levels increased during the pandemic, yet the negative correlation between ASBs and SOC persisted. This research contributes to the literature by exploring the pandemic’s effects on SOC and ASB in high-density, high-rise contexts and expanding beyond noise nuisances to include various unacceptable behaviours in assessing ASBs. The paper concludes with policy implications and outlines a future research agenda focusing on the interplay between ASB control and SOC development in pandemic scenarios.

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