ABSTRACT
Urban poverty is a thorny issue for developing societies. The urban poor can serve as an engine for achieving economic growth, but at the same time, their poverty can also be a consequence of the pressure to achieve that economic growth. The heterogeneity and diversity of the problems experienced in the everyday lives of the poor are the greatest obstacles to achieving empowerment through government policies. While Vietnamese people generally enjoy increasing freedom to make their own choices, the urban poor can find making appropriate and beneficial decisions to be a heavy burden, particularly when they have limited resources at their disposal. The chapter examines the case of Ma Lang-Dong Tien (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) as a means of investigating the various manifestations of poverty. This chapter argues that there is a need for greater government attention to reducing the burden of decision-making for the urban poor by providing minimum protection, e.g., healthcare and education. The chapter also advocates for efforts to build a local network of volunteers who can respond quickly to the urban poor's contingencies. These efforts will help to empower the poor to concentrate their limited resources on other important aspects of life.
