Informal housing practices

Abstract

In this introduction to the first of two special issues on 'Informal housing practices' we set out the foundations for a research agenda on 'informality' within housing scholarship, and propose initial implications for policy and practice. In doing so we draw from the rich conceptual work by urban geographers and political economists who situate informality within wider processes of neoliberalism, globalisation and deregulation, as well as the small but emerging body of research by housing scholars who see informal housing as both a symptom of, and potential solution to, unmet housing need. Our jumping off point for the special issues was an interest in the dimensions of informal housing manifesting in expensive cities and regions of the global north, where the veneer of 'formal' urban development and housing markets render informal housing practices largely invisible. Grounded within this context, papers in this issue illuminate different dimensions of informal housing practice; from the physical transformation of dwellings through to the ways in which individuals navigate shared domestic space; or how policy makers seek to expand low cost rental markets by legitimising secondary dwellings and micro-apartments. Drawing on the wider literature on informality and the role of the state in producing/resolving unmet housing need; we argue that informal housing practices warrant further research and policy attention, particularly with respect to cities and regions of the global north.

Filling the Gaps in an Inadequate Housing Safety Net: The Experiences of Informal Housing Providers and Implications for Their Housing Security, Health, and Well-Being

“…Informal housing provision is just one example of the many ways that low-income and otherwise marginalized individuals must look outside the formal housing market to obtain housing and shelter. Although a growing literature on informal housing (Shrestha, Gurran, and Maalsen 2021) focuses primarily on the types of housing that exist outside of formal markets, our analysis focuses on people (informal housing providers) who expand the use of formal housing (all participants were leaseholders) to address an unmet need for shelter. In this sense, informal housing provision also exemplifies the ways that marginalized communities are doing the work of the state to support each other.…”

Renting in the informal city: the role of dignity in upgrading backyard dwellings in Cape Town, South Africa

“…While a large body of research and policy analysis exists on upgrading of informal housing in Africa and elsewhere (Abbott 2002; Beardsley & Werthmann 2008; Satterthwaite 2012; Turok & Borel-Saladin 2016; Islanda 2020; Scheba & Turok 2020; UN Habitat 2020), we argue that it overlooks an underlying factor that those living in informality face: dignity. We find that dignity plays an important role in shaping upgrading interventions, especially in the context of informally constructed secondary dwellings, which is a growing phenomenon in cities of the South and North (UN Habitat 2003; Baqai & Ward 2020; Scheba & Turok 2020; Shrestha et al 2021). While upgrades in this sector could improve the material living situation of tenants, they may fail to address the underlying social relations that constitute human dignity, therefore perpetuating inadequate living conditions.…”

Illegal short-term rentals, regulatory enforcement and informal practices in the age of digital platforms

“…A growing number of authors have associated STR with the notion of 'informality' (Devlin, 2018;Ferreri andSanyal, 2018, 2021;Guttentag, 2015;Kovács et al, 2017;Shabrina et al, 2017;Shrestha et al, 2021;Söderström and Mermet, 2020), though not always clarifying in what precise ways STR can be regarded as 'informal' (something we will discuss later on). Some authors note that a number of households have engaged in STR practices out of need.…”

“…Fourth, planning and housing enforcement is a knowledge-based activity relying on multiple sources of information, data and expertise, such as complaints by residents and on-site inspections (Harris, 2011(Harris, , 2013. Deception and fraud are an inherent response to inspections (Van de Walle and Raaphorst, 2019), for example, when landlords seek to conceal evidence of housing misuse (Kelling, 2021;Shrestha et al, 2021). In that context, local governments often cross-reference different sources of administrative data and/or cooperate with various departments or agencies to detect infractions (Barry Born, 2021;Nasreen and Ruming, 2021;Schiller and Raco, 2021).…”