Network analysis as an alternative tool for understanding and intervening in informal housing: case studies from Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

This paper highlights possible areas of application of network analysis to analyse aspects of informal housing. It illustrates three network concepts: ego-centric networks (ties of individuals); networks towards collaborative action (ties that groups involved in various aspects of housing use to access resources); and networks of exchange (general ties defined by the resources they are used to access). Using examples from two low income settlements in Nairobi, the paper illustrates how each of the three concepts may be used to analyse empirical data. There are few previous studies of how these networks function in housing. However, there is a link between the network patterns and quality of informal housing. Analysing the networks shows how resources are actually accessed in informal settlements, providing useful insights for enhancement of various ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ outcomes of informal housing initiatives; helping give ‘new lenses’ through which informality can be better understood.