Conventional and non-conventional housing represent the poles of a continuum linked by a category of hybrid dwellings that incorporate features from both of the main sectors. Hybrid housing contravenes fewer legal standards than non-conventional housing and, as a result, the units may become socially and politically more acceptable. In cities where building standards are stringently defined but loosely enforced, hybrid housing can be extensive. In addition, four other types of housing are present in most Third World cities:
1. Public housing During the 1960s and 1970s, many Third World governments initiated large
public-housing programmes or extended existing ones. During the 1980s, however, support for public housing diminished as a consequence of recession and cutbacks in public expenditure linked with debt crises crises structural adjustment.