Change in intervention strategies on spontanaous permanent housing in Algeria:from carelessness to a quickly abondoned participatory developemently Laboratoire

The question of permanent spontaneous housing represents a major challenge not only in Algeria, but also in the world. A review of intervention policies on these non-regulatory constructions shows that the Algerian state has moved from policies of eradication to policies of integration and participation. This shift is driven by the recognition that spontaneous habitats were not a problem but a solution determined by low-income population when formal housing markets could not meet its demand. In Algeria, despite all the efforts made to contain the growth of urban informality, it continues to increase. T his paper aims to discuss the change in treatment of permanent spontaneous housing, from negligence and carelessness to participatory development approaches that are quickly abandoned. Currently, the state has returned to social policies aimed at providing decent housing to low-income populations. To reach this objective, the method of analysis chosen uses qualitative research techniques that favor surveys by interview with the officials responsible for the file. The results of this study show that intervention strategies on illegal habitat have ambivalent effects and that is why their success remains limited. Such a result is revealing the inefficiency of public actions. Responsibilities are shared between the management of local authorities and the low participation of the populations concerned with these actions. The leaders favored the political management of the file and not those recommended by the experts and professional actors mobilized.