Informal housing and residents’ well-being in Caracas and Sydney: a comparative study of residents’ experiences

Informal housing has been assessed to have a negative impact on its residents’ well-being. However, this article demonstrates that residents also perceive and experience some positive effects within their precarious housing condition. Both the Global South and the Global North are home to informal housing, yet there are very few studies that compare these contexts. In response, this article discusses the differences and similarities between how informality and precarious housing emerges and is experienced by its residents in both contexts. Qualitative content analysis was applied to interpret the data collected in two separate studies developed in Caracas and Sydney. The perspectives of two different populations deemed vulnerable, low-income groups are discussed: slum dwellers and international students. Aligning with Roy’s (Roy, 2005) proposition in the literature about the need to include actors such as residents in the discussion on informality, this research approach was applied to delve into the accounts of the participants to understand their meanings and experiences in the production of, access to and their everyday lives in their housing environments. Four themes arose from the interpretation of the participants’ accounts: (1) the production of informal housing; (2) permanency versus temporality; (3) networks and relationships; and (4) the overall impact on residents’ everyday lives and well-being. These emerged as significant themes for understanding the perceived well-being of informal housing residents. Residents’ experiences in the Global North and South are indeed different. However, despite the oppressing external conditions and their vulnerability, people in both areas implement psychosocial and physical strategies to improve their housing conditions and well-being. By acknowledging and understanding people’s experiences of informal housing – including those of a positive nature – we gain a deeper comprehension of the processes influencing residents’ well-being.Key messagesAside from negative impacts, informal housing also has positive impacts on residents’ well-being.Residents implement psychosocial and physical strategies to improve their informal housing experience, thus improving their perception of their overall well-being.There are meaningful commonalities between the residents’ perceptions of housing and well-being in Caracas and Sydney.