ABSTRACT
The nature and extent of informal settlement in the KwaZulu/Natal region are well documented. It is the predominant housing delivery system in the metropolitan region and represents the actions of the very poor and not so poor to house themselves without subsidy from government or employers. It is the response of people to the reality that alternative, affordable housing is not available. Whether it is illegal squatting on land or the building and occupation of illegal structures, the informal settlements of the Durban and Pietermaritzburg metropolitan areas are an inevitable consequence of the housing shortage.
