Title: Land Tenure for the Urban Poor
Article in: Angel, Archer, Tanphiphat and Wegelin, editors, Land for Housing the Poor, Select Books, Singapore
Authors: Shlomo Angel
First published: 1983
Pages: 110‑142
Overview: Observers of slums and squatter settlements in the Third World have often noted that, left to their own resources, poor people gradually improve their shelter over time. Poor as they are, invest very considerable amounts of energy, resources and ingenuity on the construction and improvement of their houses. Consequently, it has been suggested that government, which cannot build houses for everyone by itself, must recognize and legitimize these constructive efforts by removing obstacles and constraints to house improvement and by providing essential public services.