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 Slums
are the products of failed policies, bad governance, corruption,
inappropriate regulation, dysfunctional land markets, unresponsive
financial systems, and a fundamental lack of political will.
Upgrading of existing slum and squatter settlements addresses the
backlog of urban neglect, but many cities especially in Africa and
Asia will face an onslaught of new urban residents over the next
several decades, many of whom will be poor. Without significant
improvements in the legal, regulatory, and financial systems, the
problem of
current slum and
squatter settlements is only a glimpse of the future.
Poor or
biased policies
with regard to land are enormous obstacles in the path of the poor
in their search of a place to live. To prevent
the creation of
new slums, changes are needed in the legal and regulatory
framework, particularly with regard to land markets and land
acquisition, including land registry, land valuation, and legal
instruments to facilitate land acquisition. The poor often do not
have the financial resources to buy houses. Reviewing the housing
finance system,
including the access of the poor to credit and targeted subsidies
for housing, could also create opportunities for the poor.
The general institutional
framework
for providing access to housing and land for the poor could also
be greatly improved to prevent the creations of slums. The
government can play a stronger facilitating role for access by the
poor to services through, for example, providing land-use planning
with the poor in mind, or creating linkages with other housing and
shelter providers. Non-government organizations have a specific
role to play in being an intermediary between the poor and
providers of housing and/or other services. The private sector,
too, can have a significant impact by partnering with the
government in provision of low-income housing (for example, by
taking advantage of government subsidy programs).
Another route to address the growth of slums is through sites
and services
and surveyed sites programs, whereby empty land is taken, some
basic services are provided (in the case of surveyed sites, no
services are provided, only lots are allocated), and then the
areas opened up for low-income residents.
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