Most developing countries have based their housing strategies on ownership. Approaches they have adopted, such as sites and services or upgrading schemes, rely basically on ownership through self-help. Yet, most of these efforts have proved inadequate to cope with the increasing demand for urban housing. In this context, informal settlements seem to provide the cheapest and more 'affordable' ownership options for the poor. Nevertheless, home ownership, even in its squatter form, demands time, investment, and long term commitment; a luxury that some households simply cannot afford. / Based on qualitative research conducted in three low income barrios of informal origin, this study looks at the kind of non-ownership-oriented solutions available for the poor in Resistencia a provincial capital in Northeast Argentina. On the demand side, findings suggest that for some households rental or shared housing is the only choice. For others, on the contrary, it seems to be a matter of preference, a way to avoid the chores of ownership. On the supply side, the study unveils a fairly wide spectrum of choices, with options ranging from a bed in a house to rooming houses of up to 15 rooms. While some of the landlords are relatively wealthy, others are just as poor, or poorer than their tenants. / Rental and shared alternatives are far from being 'ideal' housing solutions. Under certain conditions, however, they result in reasonable short-term options that, apart from generating extra income for small landlords, contribute to diversify the supply of cheap accommodation for poor households.

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