ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 gives the results of interviews with slum dwellers, from which it was concluded that more than 70% of the slum households could, if they wish, pay both the initial 20% deposit and the monthly instalments on a house. But having enough money to buy a house is not the same as actually doing so; the chapter investigates the reasons why the potential demand does not turn into actual demand.
The survey-based evidence is presented together with anecdotal and personal accounts from the slum dwellers in informal discussions. The data provides insight into their present living conditions, their households and neighbourhoods, and their housing arrangements. It presents an assessment of their housing needs, their attitude towards their political representatives and to government programmes, and their reasons for staying in the slums. This understanding leads to an understanding of the barriers that slum dwellers face in buying affordable housing.
