Characteristics of Informal Settlements The main characteristics of the informal settlements are informal land tenure, lack of access to basic amenities, social and physical infrastructures and finances in housing (Vienna, 2004 cited by Amao, 2012). Aside from that, it is also characterized by lack of secure tenure, the shelter opposes the city policies, illegal settlement, lack of access to public services, poor quality housing structures, illegal subdivisions of buildings, impoverishment, misconduct and social exclusion and poor health condition and dangerous locations (UN-Habitat, 2003 and Payne & Majale, 2004 cited by Amao, 2012).
Growth and Formation
Luhar (2014) elaborates the causes of the creation and expansion …show more content…
Poor quality of governing,inability to provide services, corruption within and their lacking resources and political will of the government are enabling the growth of the slum in urban areas. Related to the poor urban governance, policies that are made by the local and national government that falls to its failure also adds to the problem. Government fail to give appropriate policies that will fulfill the needs of the slum dwellers. Locational choice factors such as commuting costs, public amenities that will satisfy their needs, availability of the land, job employment and other money generating sources and social ties are some causes of informal settling in some …show more content…
There are three dimensions which serve as the basis of the contrasting perspective of the function of informal settlement. The dimensions consist of (1) for the people and community, (2) place and location and (3) economy.
He believed that informal settlement might be “ladders out to poverty” which it implies that it helps the poor people to have a better life. For the people and the community, informal settlement provides easy access to the jobs which attracts the people to migrate with high hopes, inventiveness and willpower. Aside from that, informal settlements motivate the dwellers to build their own livelihood and with help of the social networks, it nurtures the human capital. In place and location, informal settlement is usually located to the areas in relation to job which it gives the dwellers of it to have easy access to their jobs that cut cost to their transportation. Being close to the jobs gives them economic opportunity. Houses in this kind of residential area are very affordable and suitable for those people who work in low paid and entry level jobs. In economy, people migrated to informal settlements with hopes to become successful someday that make them to have energy to carry out their plans, to be resourceful, and committed as always. The opportunities given by the city drives them to have goal and to learn how to more