Squatting

Some people live in empty buildings.

They do this to find a home. They might use land that no one uses.

In many places, people build their own small homes.

These homes may not have water or lights. This happens when people cannot find cheap houses.

In some lands, these areas are called slums. People move to big cities to find work. They build homes on the edges of the city.

Sometimes, people use empty buildings for fun. They might start a small shop or a cafe. This helps the local people stay together.

Living this way can be very hard. It is a way for people to find a place to stay.

Squatting is when people live in empty buildings or on land.

They do not own the place. They also do not have permission to be there. Most people squat to find a home.

In many poor countries, people build their own small houses. These areas are often called slums or shanty towns.

In Africa, many people live in these areas. In Nigeria, many people live in slums near big cities. In Egypt, many people live in informal housing. These homes may not have water or power.

In some places, people squat for other reasons. Some groups use empty buildings as social centres. They might make a café or a shop.

This helps the local people stay together.

Squatting can be a hard way to live. It can also lead to fights with the law. Some people think squatting is a way to protest. Others say it causes trouble for neighbors.

In the United States and England, some people use a rule called adverse possession. This can sometimes lead to owning the land.

Squatting is when people move into a building or onto land they do not own. They do not pay rent or have legal permission to be there. Most people squat to find a place to live. This often happens when people are poor or homeless. They look for empty or abandoned buildings to use as homes.

Sometimes, people use these spaces for other things. They might turn a building into a café or a shop. Some groups use squats as social centres for their community. These places can even host pirate radio stations.

In many parts of the world, squatting leads to large settlements. In developing countries, these are often called slums or shanty towns. These areas are usually built on the edges of big cities. People build their own houses without permission from landowners. These homes often lack basic things like water or electricity.

In Brazil, these areas are known as favelas. In Argentina, they are called villa miseria. In Peru, people call them pueblos jóvenes. In Guatemala and Uruguay, they are known as asentamientos irregulares.

History shows that squatting has many different roots. Some early groups used a method called "silent move-outs." This meant leaving a home without telling the landlord. They would then stop paying rent. In the 1960s and 1970s, new movements began in Europe. People created free spaces in Denmark and the Netherlands. They also made social centres in Italy.

In the United States and England, some people squat to protest. They might do this to save a building from being torn down. In Spain and the US, many new squats appeared after the 2008 financial crisis.

Different countries have many different numbers of squatters. In the late 1970s, England and Wales had about 50,000 squatters. In Nigeria, nearly 70 percent of people in Lagos lived in slums in 1995. In South Africa, 7.7 million people lived in informal settlements in the mid-1990s. By 2004, that number grew to 15 million people.

In Sudan, there were about 200,000 squatters in Khartoum by 2015. In Liberia, the West Point area in Monrovia holds between 29,500 and 75,000 people. These numbers show how common this way of living can be.

People have very different views about squatting. Some say it is a way to protest unfairness. An author named Colin Ward even called it the oldest way to hold land. He believed that the Earth should not be treated like a product. Other people, like police official Sue Williams, disagree. She says squatting can cause trouble for neighbors. It can also lead to criminal activities.

In some places, there is a rule called adverse possession. This allows someone to gain ownership of land after living there for a long time. This rule exists in England and the United States. Whether squatting is seen as good or bad often depends on local laws.

Squatting is the act of occupying land or a building without legal permission. This occurs when a person does not own the property or rent it from a landlord. Most squatting is residential, meaning people do so to find a place to live.

This practice often happens when people are homeless or living in poverty. They may find abandoned or unoccupied buildings to use as housing. In some cases, squatting is used as a form of protest or to conserve old buildings.

There are different ways that squatting functions in society. Some people use squats as self-managed social centres. These spaces can host community activities like free shops, cafés, or venues. They have even been used as pirate radio stations.

In industrialized nations, squatting is sometimes linked to political movements. These can include anarchist, autonomist, or socialist groups. In these contexts, the occupation of a space is often a deliberate political statement.

In many developing countries, squatting leads to the creation of informal settlements. These are often called shanty towns or slums. They are typically located on the edges of large cities. Residents build their own housing without the permission of landowners.

Because these areas are informal, they often lack basic infrastructure. This means there is no legal connection to electricity, water, or sewerage systems. In Brazil, these large settlements are known as favelas.

Different regions use different names for these types of settlements. In Argentina, they are called villa miseria. In Peru, they are known as pueblos jóvenes. In Guatemala and Uruguay, the term is asentamientos irregulares. In Turkey, a house built quickly without permission is called a gecekondu. These settlements often provide housing for poor workers and new migrants moving to cities.

History shows that squatting has several different roots. One early precursor was a practice called "déménagement à la cloche de bois." This was a "silent move-out" used by certain anarchist groups. It involved leaving a residence without telling the landlord and stopping rent payments. In the 1960s and 1970s, new movements appeared in Europe. People created freespaces in Denmark and the Netherlands, and social centres in Italy.

Large numbers of people live in squatter settlements around the world. A 2003 estimate by UN-Habitat stated that about one billion people lived in slums or squatter settlements. In Nigeria, nearly 70 percent of the population in Lagos lived in slums in 1995. South Africa has also seen massive growth in informal settlements. In the mid-1990s, about 7.7 million people lived in them. By 2004, that number had risen to an estimated 15 million people.

In Sudan, squatting is defined as building housing that contradicts urban planning and land laws. In Khartoum, there were an estimated 200,000 squatters by 2015. Other cities in Sudan, like Nyala and Wad Madani, also have large populations of squatters. In Zimbabwe, the distribution of land has been a point of dispute between peasant farmers and squatters. In 2005, an operation called Operation Murambatsvina evicted about 700,000 people. This event affected more than two million people in total.

People hold very different views on the legality and morality of squatting. Some argue it is a way to claim natural rights to the planet. The author Colin Ward suggested that squatting is the oldest mode of land tenure. However, others see it as a problem. UK police official Sue Williams stated that squatting can lead to anti-social behaviour. She noted it can cause nuisance and distress to local residents. In some countries, a legal concept called adverse possession exists. This allows someone to gain legal title to a property after occupying it for a certain period. This principle is used in England and the United States.