Access to decent, affordable housing is a basic requirement for human well-being, yet in most large cities of the Third World much of the population occupies the most rudimentary forms of shelter. An indication of the difference in housing quality between high-and low-income countries is provided. In term of floor area per person the city average for Dhaka was 3.7m (40ft)in 1990 compared with over 60m (650ft) in Washington