‘Slums of despair’ or ‘Slums of hope’

Barriada - Peruvian-Spanish 

 favela - Brazilian  

colonia proletaria - Mexican 

 rancho - Venezuelan

Each country has its own term, not only in Latin America but in all regions where the rate of urbanization has overwhelmed planning and building legislation and where cities are plunging into an even greater chaos than those of the already urbanized and industrial world. 

(i) This picture was taken while driving (since it’s very dangerous to stop) of a house in Beetham Gardens, along the Beetham Highway in East Port of Spain. It is an informal settlement within the city of Port of Spain that has inadequate housing and squalid, miserable living conditions. It is overcrowded, with many people crammed into very small living spaces.  It was very difficult to capture the dwellings properly, not only because of the fact that I could not risk stopping but the houses were all blocked off by a wall which was constructed by the government to block off the eyesore from foreign dignitaries visiting our country. Fortunately I captured this house which gives an idea of some of the houses in the area but in reality the majority of houses are in a much worse condition. The entire stretch of houses was such a disheartening, saddening and disenchanting sight. They were all very tiny, wooden houses with poorly maintained roofs, made old or used galvanise covered in rust or holes, not secured properly. Some houses are unpainted, dirty, run down and piles of rubbish can be seen everywhere. There is no proper sanitation or ventilation in the area for these people living in such deplorable conditions. These houses are inhabited by poor people or those in the lower socio economic class. If one is asked to think about Beetham or Laventille, automatically the idea of high rates of poverty and employment and the breeding center for many social problems such as crime, drug addiction, alcoholism, and despair pop into your head. This is not just an assumption but a fact, as highlighted and reinforced on news every single day. All slums are not the same, and some provide better living conditions than others. Likewise, slum dwellers are not a homogeneous population, but a diverse group of people with different interests, means and backgrounds. Slums are also a significant economic force. In many cities, as much as 60 percent of employment is in the informal sector of the urban population.

(ii) Stokes (1962) characterized these areas as either ‘Slums of depair’ or ‘Slums of hope’ refecting opposing views as to whether squatter housing is a burden or a benefit to the urban poor. Globally, the scale of the problem is enormous with the United Nations estimating that over one billion reside in sub-standard and insecure accommodation with no services (UN HABITAT 2003). The presence of large informal housing areas has been a long-standing feature of rapidly urbanizing areas, particularly the mega cities of the Global South (Gilbert 2000; UN Habitat 2003). Within these cities, considerable unmet low-cost housing demand exists as a result of the rapid population increases these cities experience. However, the limited and precarious income earing opportunities that exist in these cities mean that many poorer households are unable to obtain a high enough income to afford to access the restricted formal housing opportunities available. Consequently, for many, the only option is the informal or popular housing sector. The attitude of governments and development organizations to the presence of squatter settlements has varied considerably, ranging from hostility, to suppression, to toleration and occasional support (Pacione 2009). Negatively, the continuance of squatter settlements as home to many urban dwellers highlights the chronic economic problems faced by poor urban populations, marginalizing these groups within the city and trapping them in poverty.

Key features of the ‘classic’ socio- economic models of the so-called ‘Third World city’ are the presence of large areas of low status squatter settlement housing or the edges of the city, with higher status enclaves remaining in the core of the city, often now gated residential developments (Pacione 2009). This division stems from the stark socio- economic inequalities in these urban populations, high rates of immigration into these primate urban centres from poorer rural hinterlands and the lack of housing provision in economies that are still relatively poor in global terms, frequently still in dependant relationships with the major post-industrial economies. (Hall and Barrett, 2012)

A view of dilapidated houses on Laventille hill which overlooks the city
Source: http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2007-10-23/bussguardian1.html

The Economic Meaning of Slums to Slum Dwellers

If one is to attack the problems of slums from the point of view of their occupants, and prepare plans that meet their economic and social conditions, it is necessary to examine the benefits that slum dwellers derive from the very fact that they live in slums. These benefits arise from four conditions: lack of legal and social controls; the low rents of low housing costs; proximity to the heart of the city where job opportunities are concentrated; and recourse to the traditional security that exists where persons live in natural groups, nationality, religion, or caste. The lack of controls permit the slum dwellers (all over the world) to do what he pleases in and with his dwelling. It permits him to build a makeshift dwelling. It permits him to use his dwelling as a shop or his shop as a dwelling. He and his family can sleep in the rear of the shop, or, pushing aside the equipment, sleep in it. This arrangement, of course, reduces his rent .Bell, Gwen. 1972. Human identity in the urban environment. London: Butler and Tanner Ltd.

Social Investments in Slum Improvement Schemes
The advantages of slum improvement as a method of urban development are many:

1. It keeps the families close to whatever jobs they had, including a large supply of low-grade jobs, while encouraging their desire for advance.
2. It does not destroy the social structure either of families or of larger groups.

3. It is the most intensive course in urbanization with regard to standards of urban living, relationship to Government and the way of finding an individual role in a vast and anonymous city.
4. It gives this course in urbanization to people living close to the sources of advancement, the stimulus and incentives for advance that are inherent in the city.
There are, however, some specific social investments that must be made to assure that full value will be received from the program. Bell, Gwen. 1972. Human identity in the urban environment. London: Butler and Tanner Ltd.

References:

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett .2012. Urban Geography. London and New York: Routledge Publishing.

Bell, Gwen. 1972. Human identity in the urban environment. London: Butler and Tanner Ltd.

(iii) Here is some additional information:

On the wall blocking off Beetham Garden which caused much controversy:

http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2008-10-19/news3.html

On the state of the poor in Trinidad;
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2007-10-23/bussguardian1.html

This video gives an insight on the depressed like of slum dwellers:

Look pon di gully side

Do you see anything fi smile bout

Look at that hungry child

Do you see anything fi smile bout

Look at the school weh deh youth dem go fi get dem education

Do you see anything fi smile bout

Look at the conditions of our police stations

Do you see anything fi smile bout

Also you can look at this award winning movie Slumdog Millionnaire. It is about a Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

I would like to sincerely thank Avinash Singh for being my chauffeur for the day and taking me around the city to capture dwellings of every kind! Thank you! <3