RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Living Conditions, Rents, and Their Determinants in the Slums of Nairobi and Dakar
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 251
OP 274
DO 10.3368/le.88.2.251
VO 88
IS 2
A1 Sumila Gulyani
A1 Ellen M. Bassett
A1 Debabrata Talukdar
YR 2012
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/88/2/251.abstract
AB Using data from 3,715 slum households in Nairobi and Dakar, we find living conditions for tenants are worse than for owners, although tenants pay significant rents. Compared to Nairobi, both nominal rents and living conditions are higher in Dakar. Despite differences in respective slum rental markets, determinants of rent in both cities are strikingly similar. Analysis suggests that tenure mix—proportion of tenants to owners—affects what is available for rent and overall living conditions. Ensuring a certain proportion of housing is owner occupied may be instrumental for delivering greater choice for tenants and better living conditions for all slum residents. (JEL R21)