Slum dwellers
Slum households are defined by UN-Habitat as households that lack decent water supply, adequate sanitation facilities, sufficient living area, decent structural quality and/or security of tenure. At present, there are about 900 million slum dwellers in the world and this could rise to an estimated two billion by 2020. Almost half the population of African and Asian towns and cities live in slums. This is unacceptable in a world where we want everyone to have a good quality of life and a sustainable future.
Slum dwellers live in neglected parts of towns and cities where housing and living conditions are appallingly deprived and often hazardous, and where basic services are lacking. They may have recently moved to a city and been unable to afford any better housing. The slum may be seen as a temporary home, but for many people the slum has become a permanent place of residence.
People in slums often live under the constant threat of eviction by the authorities. This makes people reluctant to invest in their housing, reinforces poverty and social exclusion, causes severe stress and illness and has the biggest impact on women and children. Secure tenure (the right to land) is one of the most essential elements of shelter. UN-Habitat runs the 'Secure Tenure Campaign', a major worldwide campaign which aims to promote secure forms of tenure for the poorest populations, especially those living in slums in cities. It encourages negotiation as an alternative to forced eviction. If people can live without the fear of forced eviction, they are likely to invest their time, energy and resources in improving the quality of their shelter and environment.
Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Target 11: Improve the lives of at least 100 million slumdwellers by 2020.
A joint UN-HABITAT/World Bank slum upgrading initiative called the Cities Alliance is working on the Cities Without Slums action plan (MDG target 11). This sets targets for improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. It focuses on upgrading the most squalid, unhealthy and unserved urban slums and squatter settlements in the world, promoting secure tenure, access to shelter finance and policies to help cities prevent the growth of new slums.