ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the major variables which combine to explain housing conditions in any country and examines how housing demand and supply interact to define the urban housing problem. It evaluates urban low-income housing policies and programmes in five South-east Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) and Hong Kong in order to illustrate those policies and administrative inputs critically associated with the effective provision of housing as a package of services for the urban poor. In many cities where public housing is too expensive there is another option, on-site upgrading of slums and squatter settlements, complemented by a sites-and-service programme. A slum improvement programme can involve upgrading dwelling units but it usually consists of inserting basic infrastructure and social services. At present the private sector is widely assumed to make a negligible contribution to housing the urban poor since profits are greater in commercial and industrial projects and in middle- to high-income housing.
