Urban Squatting in Latin America: Relevance of ‘Guided Occupancy’

Abstract

While the illegal occupation of land by families lacking the means to acquire housing on the market is hardly front page news in Latin America, it may not merit the silence to which it has been relegated of late. The authors, who formed part of a research team on the subject, conclude that urban squatting is still very common today. The team found that most Latin American countries are amending their municipal, provincial and national legislation in this regard and backing programmes for consolidation and improvement. In a nutshell, they are adopting a more tolerant attitude toward squatting. The authors believe that the Guided Occupancy Programme successfully implemented by the city of Trujillo, Peru, for over a decade, constitutes an exemplary approach to the problem. While not necessarily constituting a universal solution, it can be viewed as a viable and reproducible alternative in situations of widespread poverty.

Citation

Gesto, B., Gómez, G. and Salas, J. (2012), "Urban Squatting in Latin America: Relevance of ‘Guided Occupancy’", Open House International, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-03-2012-B0004