Low-Income Housing and Sustainability of the Slum Improvement Program in Bangladesh

Slums providing housing to a good proportion of the urban population in many developing countries have grown dramatically. Governments, mostly assisted by international agencies, have achieved improved environments tenure security, and raised income and resources in many of these. Yet that could not eradicate the problems as benefits could not be sustained due to lack of institutional development, policy implementation, governance, participation, etc. Moreover, the urban poor’s capability to bring affordable and sustainable solutions, which can be improved with assistance, was overlooked. This paper discusses the changed approach to the issues of low-income groups housing in the above context and examines the same in the context of Bangladesh. It also evaluated the achievements and sustainability of the Slum Improvement Program therein.