Residential typologies in Chilean irregular settlements with precarious housing conditions Tipologías residenciales en comunidades chilenas en condiciones de precariedad habitacional

Abstract

Objective. To identify residential parameters that characterize the physical and social environment in Chile's irregular settlements, and to construct typologies that will allow to develop profiles with those distinctive residential attributes. Methods. The study examined the universe of irregular settlements (n = 122) in Chile's Metropolitan Region, based on the 2007 national inventory of irregular settlements conducted by the "Un Techo para Chile" foundation. Information about the communities and their locations was obtained from key informants, and these variables were modeled using factor analysis to identify residential parameters, which were then refined by k-means clustering. Results. The factor analysis pointed to three underlying parameters: local social response, the environment beyond the community, and basic services. The key variables shaping these categories were the existence of housing projects, the urban area involved, and access to electricity. The cluster analysis ge