Improving security without titles in Bogotá

Non-statutory tenure systems could be decisive urban and legal tools to provide land and tenure rights for the urban poor. Bogotá has been struggling with urban regularisation for more than 17 years, and as a result many families are enjoying tenure rights and services. However, the unit costs of service provision for the city have been 3.2 times higher than investments in formal projects, and the legal status of regularisation could be in jeopardy due to contradictions between property rights and the social function of property, because some people consider legalisation as a way to perpetuate illegal dwellings. The paper assesses the property rights offered, the degree of security provided, and the extent of distribution of the different tenure types in Bogotá.