Housing the urban poor in West Malaysia: The role of the private sector ∗

Abstract

At present the private sector in the Third World does not play an important role in housing the urban poor, nor is it generally considered to have much potential in this field. The paper queries this assumption and examines the scope for private sector participation in low-cost housing construction in West Malaysia. The results indicate that the potential of the private sector is considerable, although strongly dependent upon government intervention in various forms. It is also clear that the nature of private sector activity in this sphere will be different between large and small towns, and that further research is needed before either national or international policy guidelines can be drawn up.