c) Temporary housing : squatters and long houses
i. Existing situation
529. The squatter survey carried out in 1998 indicated that there were 197 squatter settlements in Kuala Lumpur occupying about 645 hectares.
530. From 1992 to 1998 there was a reduction of about 32.4 percent in the squatter population (refer Figure 12.1). The reduction was largely due to intensive action taken by government agencies to build more low cost housing through privatization and redevelopment programmes.
531. However, there are still some residual squatter settlements whose presence in the City is unacceptable for many reasons. They are characterised by unacceptable environmental conditions, high fire risks and a general lack of hygiene. In addition, many are located close to or along strategic routes or beside rivers thus marring the image of the City and causing river pollution.