The vicious cycle
Usually, families with low incomes inhabit urban areas that are physically and socially degraded because of lack of a different option. Due to poor housing conditions in developing countries, this means that more signs of poverty will be observed such as increased death rates, restrcited water supplies due to overwhelming demands, small houses built too close to each other, etc. The existence of these conditions make it hard for people to escape poverty as their children are already born to it, with few opportunities to get themselves out. Thus the cycle of poverty is continued.
Housing: A third of people living in urban areas in developing countries live in slums. These are areas that have a dense population and poor infrastructure, with houses that are tightly packed and in disrepair. People living in slums face problems with sanitation and electricity. There is also a lack of a clean and steady supply of water. This, coupled with the lack of proper latrines and solid waste disposal, leads to pollution, degrading the environment. Another issue slums face is the absence of adequate health care. This increases the prevalence of disease in these areas, and also causes an increase in death rates. People who move to these areas do so as a result of poverty. In Addis Ababa, 80% of houses are considered to be slums.