[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” border=”none” style=”margin-top: 50px;”][vc_column width=”1/2″ fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” style=”font-size: 2.2em; font-weight: normal;”][text_output]Slum living is rapidly growing worldwide. Slum populations are estimated to grow by 500 million people between 2010-2020. Most slum growth is occurring in the developing world, and it is estimated that 2 billion people will live in slums by 2030.[/text_output][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” style=”border: 1px solid #eeeeee; padding: 10px;”][image type=”none” float=”none” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” src=”5871″][text_output]Known as the “Tower of David”, squatters claimed the structure in 2007 and with the government doing little to curtail the takeover, the resident population grew to an estimated 3,000 people. (Image Courtesy: Reuters/Jorge Silva)[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” border=”none” style=”font-size: 1.2em;”][vc_column width=”1/1″][text_output]The dangers of slums are evident. Defined as housing lacking one or more of the following qualities: durable housing, sufficient living area, access to improved water, access to sanitation, and protection against forced eviction, slums are notorious for unhealthy and dangerous living conditions. In the Haruma slums outside of Nairobi, Kenya, up to 500 residents often have to share a single toilet or communal tap. The inadequate sanitation conditions combined with severe overcrowding and the unhealthy lifestyles of many residents make slums a breeding ground for diseases such as diarrhea, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, in certain cities like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, competing crime gangs control the slum neighborhoods and their rivalries often erupt into violence.
Despite the known risks of slums, a skyscraper slum in Venezuela is being called a “haven for the poor”. The building itself is a 45-story intended financial center with a helicopter pad, balconies, and views of the Avila Mountains, which was abandoned in 1994 upon the death of its developer. Known as the “Tower of David”, squatters claimed the structure in 2007 and with the government doing little to curtail the takeover, the resident population grew to an estimated 3,000 people.
Although many people in Caracas view the Tower of David as a symbol of crime, the residents living within the building hail it as a high-rise urban dwelling that saved them from the dangers of the capital’s slums.
The Tower of David is self-governed by a cooperative and floor delegates, who establish rules that are then posted in the hallways to notify residents of community regulations. Failures to comply with the established rules are punished with extra social work, which may entail tasks such as sweeping corridor floors. Residents pay a monthly fee of about $32 that is used to fund 24-hour security patrols within the building and must finance all plumbing, electric, and water systems.
Families living in the tower attest that the dangers of the Tower of David such as crime, and accidents due to the incomplete construction, while existent, are significantly reduced within the skyscraper slum due to the unique governance of the building and community atmosphere formed by its inhabitants.
The living spaces in the Tower can consist of up to four bedrooms per family and are significantly more spacious, clean, and regulated than the housing options in the traditional slums of Caracas. Residents do not have to worry about gang violence, or widespread sanitation problems. The Tower now even boasts shops, dental services, and a beauty salon.[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” border=”none”][vc_column width=”1/2″ fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” style=”border: 1px solid #eeeeee; padding: 10px;”][image type=”none” float=”none” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” src=”5874″][text_output]The living spaces in the Tower can consist of up to four bedrooms per family and are significantly more spacious, clean, and regulated than the housing options in the traditional slums of Caracas.(Image Courtesy: Reuters/Jorge Silva)[/text_output][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” style=”font-size: 1.2em;”][text_output]The community and governing body that has cropped up in the Tower of David brings to light questions regarding the perceived limitations and dangers surrounding slum living. The city of Caracas leaves the Tower to its own devices and the Tower has, by many accounts, succeeded in creating adequate housing for the poor. Can it be possible that self-regulated slums can be the safest, healthiest, and best housing option for the urban poor?
Nora Ciancio; Research Officer[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row]