Introduction

By discussing the perspectives and experiences of residents living in informal housing in Caracas, Venezuela, and Sydney, Australia, this chapter responds to this special issue's call regarding precarious housing and well-being, focusing on vulnerable, low-income populations, such as slum dwellers and international students. This chapter unpacks the common elements found in the two rather different case studies regarding how informal housing is produced, accessed and experienced, and the perceived impacts on its residents’ well-being.

Pendall et al (2012) argue that substandard quality, unaffordability, overcrowding and the failure to meet people's needs are the main characteristics of precarious housing. Closely related to this concept, and with a strong focus on the Global South, informal housing has traditionally been defined as that ‘built by artisans and small, local builders with or for the users and usually without official authorization’ (Turner, 1976: 1143). On a similar note, but focusing on the Global North, Gurran et al (2019: 9) define informal housing as ‘housing that contravenes existing planning, building, or tenancy rules, or which offers residents few protections within these rules’. Informality often involves precariousness, but, at the same time, it encompasses broader discussions on production of the space, economy, employment, activities and housing (Porter et al, 2011; Roy, 2005; 2009); hence, ‘informality’ is the term adopted in this chapter.

There is a well-established focus on informal housing and its corresponding challenges and opportunities in the Global South (encompassing developing countries).