Housing consolidation and home-based income generation - Evidence from self-help settlements in two Colombian cities

Consolidation of dwellings in self-help settlements is directly dependent on the generation of surplus resources beyond that required for subsistence. A significant proportion of households in such settlements are reliant on income generated within the home for household subsistence as well as to finance the construction of the dwelling itself. There is therefore a close interrelationship between income levels, dwelling consolidation rates and household profiles, all of which are in a state of continuous change. To examine these interrelationships this paper draws on longitudinal studies of settlements in two intermediate sized, regional capitals in Colombia: Pereira in the centre of the country and Santa Marta on the northern coast. The paper identifies the key factors which impact on the complex interlinkage between income generation and housing conditions, and concludes by offering some observations which are relevant to policy agendas in the field of low-income housing and poverty alleviation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.