ABSTRACT
Viability in the context of urban housing can be seen as the combination of access to development opportunities, such as employment, integration with the urban fabric and sufficient access to social infrastructure, like schools and health facilities. Addressing slums and ‘housing poverty’ is a key element of urban development policies, programmes and strategies. Typical slum upgrading projects come bundled with use rights with restrictions on inheritance, exchange and transfer. Scholars and institutions have noted the positive outcomes of the programme, finding that many households invested in toilets and maintenance mechanisms, and improved their quality of life, once trunk infrastructure was provided to them. In situations where the density of an existing settlement is too high to accommodate all the households on individual plots, the option of multi-floor apartments can be considered. Redevelopment requires significant investments. The developers are expected to leverage this extra area in the market and generate the funds to cross-subsidise the redevelopment scheme.
