ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by reconsidering the multiple deprivations associated with urban poverty that were listed at the end of Chapter 2 and elaborated in Chapters 3 to 5. It then discusses the implications of incorporating these into poverty assessments and measurements. There is also a discussion of how addressing non-income aspects of deprivation can in effect provide a ‘hidden income’ as these reduce costs directly (for example, cheaper safe water) and indirectly (for instance through reducing health burdens or income lost because of injury, illness and premature death). This complements the focus of Chapter 2 on what is needed to have poverty lines set to levels that reflect the minimum income that urban dwellers need for food and non-food items, and adjusted to reflect spatial differences in the costs of necessities. This chapter also considers how understanding of health issues and inequality shapes an understanding of urban poverty and what is needed to address it. It discusses whether a focus on urban poverty might distract attention from rural poverty. And it ends with key conclusions for a post-MDG world.
