Housing the Urban Poor in Developing Countries

. Conventional Shelter policies that focus on slum clearance, public housing, sites‐and‐Services, upgrading of core dwellings and government assisted self‐help are inadequate to meet the growing needs of the urban poor in developing countries for low‐cost housing. An examination is made of alternative options including cooperative housing programs and of policies that lower housing construction costs and encourage the participation of the urban poor, the informal sector, and private enterprise in low‐cost shelter construction. Such policies include those that modify land use and building regulations, that increase the incomes of the poor so that they can afford privately constructed dwellings or the materials to build their own houses, and that increase the security of land occupation to encourage self‐help activities. Governments in developing countries must give more attention to tailoring housing policies to the needs of the urban poor, to developing multiple modes of shelter provision, and to strengthening the housing finance system.