Name: ___________________________________ ( )

Class: ______________
Chapter 3: Housing (1)
What is housing shortage?
Insufficient housing to accommodate the population in an area, when the
supply of houses cannot meet the demand
Housing is unaffordable for those who need it
Presence of homeless people, and slums and squatter settlements
indication of housing shortage
What does homelessness means?
Lack of regular shelter
People seeking temporary housing
Where does homelessness happen?
People sleep in public areas
o E.g.: Street, under bridges, public parks, homes of relatives and
friends
What are slums and squatter settlements?
Urban areas which are heavily populated
Residents have poor quality housing and poor access to basic services
Known as shanty town, favela (Brazil), barong-barong (Philippines)
How do squatter settlements developed?
Without permission from relevant authorities
Not built on land approved for housing
Areas are neglected do not receive adequate provision of basic services
What threats do these people face?
1) Lack of safe shelter
2) Insufficient basic services

1) Lack of safe shelter

Without shelters, people are not protected against the weather elements and
may be exposed to strong winds and cold winters
Houses in slums and squatter settlements have weak foundations
Unstable walls and roofs made of poor quality materials like zinc and
cardboard
o Houses collapse easily during natural disaster (eg: floods,
earthquakes)
Most of the construction materials are flammable and thus increase the risk of
fires in slums
Houses are usually built on unsuitable sites
o E.g.: low-lying area or steep slopes areas more prone to floods and
landslides (refer to figure 1 on the next page)
Houses in slum are built in dense and disorderly manner
There are narrow paths with limited access for vehicles
Residents could not evacuate quickly rescue efforts are hampered (esp
during emergencies such as fires or earthquakes)
1

Figure 1

A slum in Tondo, Manila, Philippines

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/
06/world_manila_slum_life/print.stm

Houses may be built on steep slopes

in a dense and disorderly manner,
such as in the Favela Chapeu
Mangueira, Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil
http://imgarcade.com/1/mangueira-favela/

2) Insufficient basic services

Lack of access to basic services
o E.g.: electricity, clean water, proper sanitation and waste disposal
Lack of infrastructure
o E.g.: power lines, water pipes, toilets and waste management facilities
Lack of proper sanitation in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya
One toilet shared by 1300 residents
Access to water is inconsistent as water piped into the slum is diverted away
by individual residents or private water companies
Waste accumulates in the streets and rivers as lack of water disposal
facilities

Residents in
Rocinha, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, gain
access to electricity
in their houses by
illegally tapping the
citys electricity
supply
https://gregandcathsadventur
es.wordpress.com/2009/04/

A pit latrine shed in

Kibera slum, Nairobi,
Kenya. A pit latrine is
cheap, simple toilet
that consists of a
large trench or hole
in the ground and
often equipped with a
squatting slab and lid

People gather water from a communal

watering point in Kibera slum, Nairobi,
Kenya
http://www.asa-agency.com/en/media/39ad5e24-16b011e2-9202-3d203cc59cb9-children-queue-for-waterat-a-communal-watering-point-in-the-ki

http://www.wunrn.com/news/
2010/12_10/12_27/122710_k
enya.htm

Reference
L H Goh, M C Clarke, Sandra Yu (2015). All about Geography Secondary Two Urban
Living. Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Google images
A slum in Tondo, Manila, Philippines (Pg 2)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/pri
nt.stm
Favela Chapeu Mangueira, Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil (Pg 2)
http://imgarcade.com/1/mangueira-favela/
Residents in Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, gain access to electricity in their
houses by illegally tapping the citys electricity supply (Pg 3)
https://gregandcathsadventures.wordpress.com/2009/04/
A pit latrine shed in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya. A pit latrine is cheap, simple toilet
that consists of a large trench or hole in the ground and often equipped with a
squatting slab and lid (Pg 3)
http://www.wunrn.com/news/2010/12_10/12_27/122710_kenya.htm
People gather water from a communal watering point in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya
(Pg 3)
http://www.asa-agency.com/en/media/39ad5e24-16b0-11e2-9202-3d203cc59cb9children-queue-for-water-at-a-communal-watering-point-in-the-ki