The realization of sustainable social rental housing is regarded as an important policy to solve the housing burden, but social rental housing is often unsustainable. This study assesses the sustainability of social rental housing. However, the decision-making models, such as the classical decision-making hierarchy (AHP) used in the current study, conflict with the resolution of the complex influence of the relationship between evaluation dimensions/criteria. Based on this, we construct a new hybrid multi-attribute decision-making model (MADM) combining the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Fuzzy DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) and the modified VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method for the sustainability assessment of government-led social rental housing (SRH) using Taiwanese experts as the subject of the investigation. The Fuzzy DEMATEL found that economic sustainability (D₁), as the core dimension, affects environmental (D₃) and social sustainability (D₂). Furthermore, criteria with the “cause” position, including the reasonable development model (C₂), the provision of living facilities and services needed (C₅), the adoption of environmentally friendly technology and equipment (C₁₀), guaranteed rent and lease (C₁), the acquisition of working skill and employment opportunities (C₆) and space planning and design (C₃), should receive more attention from decision makers because improving these can further enhance the sustainability of the overall scheme. Combined with the DANP weight and modified VIKOR, we also indicate that these criteria should be optimized to make the evaluation more sustainable for a selected social housing case in Taiwan. The research also further proposes management strategy implications.

This study constructs a dynamic and open economy model to show that low saving rates are the cause of economic volatility in developed countries, whereas inadequate financial development is identified as the reason for economic volatility in emerging countries. With low saving rates or inadequate financial development, countries find it difficult to avoid economic volatility, because it is difficult to alleviate the financing constraints of firms and maintain the stability of investment. Under similar conditions, economic volatility is more severe in developed countries and has spillover effects by triggering interest rate fluctuations in the global capital market and intensifying economic volatility in other countries. By contrast, emerging countries or small economies do not have spillover effects. To avoid dramatic international economic volatility, emerging countries should prompt financial development, and developed countries should increase their saving rates.