Abstract
This paper describes the people who live in informal housing in Abidjan's precarious settlements. This includes details of from where they came, how long they have been in the city, and where they lived before coming to their current home. It also describes why they came to live there (and why they chose that particular neighbourhood), how they gained access to land or rooms and, for owner occupiers, how they built and financed the building. The paper also contrasts the situation of owner occupiers and tenants in each of these descriptions.