User:AshNB15/Informal housing

In the United States
Informal housing is also becoming prominent in developed countries such as the United States. In the United States informal housing can be seen among a lot of regional typologies. Informality of housing is happening in the United States because of a multitude of factors. Demand in a lot of cities currently outweighs the supply of formal housing and this type of housing might work with the local social and physical environment. When housing is created without formal recognition it can be due to preference or because of housing necessity. Informal housing poses four different typologies in the United States: infill, subdivision, repurposing of private property, and occupation of public space. Informality in housing can pose increased risks compared to formal housing, being outside of formal regulations it is also prone to neglect by municipalities.

In housing-constrained metropolitan areas, the first typology, informal infill is common. Infill occurs in land-constrained areas where units or lots with housing are then subdivided, often illegally, and are noncompliant with current codes and regulations. Unpermitted secondary units are seen as informal housing. In 2012, among the total stock of approximately 462,000 single-family homes in Los Angeles, California, there were estimated to be close to 50,000 unpermitted secondary units. Informal infill units further cater to differing preferences in the new market of buyers.

A second typology of informal housing seen a lot along the US-Mexico border is informal subdivisions, however, this informality is probable anywhere where the regulations are less tight, and sprawl is common. An informal subdivision is when a developer splits up the land and sells it with minimal improvements, leaving the buyer to be tasked with the doings of the developer. This type of informality goes unregulated and does not receive the same protections as regulated subdivisions. Housing is then self-built, often not to standard, and of inadequate quality.