1331. "Removing Barriers to Land Security in Haiti"
- Author:
- Cynthia McCoy
- Publication Date:
- 10-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Wilson Center
- Abstract:
- Haiti continues to experience overwhelming urban population growth and scarcity of land, causing increasing numbers of people to live and work in high-risk, low-potential or marginal urban environments. The land tends to be characterized as unplanned and sprawling, on public lands without proper municipal control, or on private land with informal ownership. Over time these settlements become inadequate, lacking infrastructure and direct access. Settlements tend to be situated precariously in inaccessible locations, such as on steep slopes or on outer city rubbish dumps (Overseas Development Institute, 2010). These lands are most attractive because the land rents tend to be much lower, or land is cheaper for people to build their homes – usually illegally. The informal status of housing for many of the urban poor can inhibit productivity, and the fear of eviction prevents people's willingness to invest in their homes.
- Topic:
- Development, Political Economy, Territorial Disputes, and Urbanization
- Political Geography:
- Caribbean