Does the Location of Urban Poor Fall Price of the Land? The Case of Illegal Occupation (Toma De Penalolen), Santiago of Chile 1999-2003

It is argued, - without empirical evidence - that the location of urban poor fall price of the land of destination. This research questions this claim,to investigate the impact of an illegal occupation of land (called Toma de Penalolen) in the prices of land and the perception of the residents of the commune Penalolen. This will address two methodological approaches, an analysis of prices of land (at different scales) and an analysis of perceptions of important actors. While the results indicate that the prices of land in the commune do not fall, it impacts negatively on the perception of residents, and is a key element in the continuing conflicts that characterized the illegal occupation. This contradiction between the real effect of the illegal occupation and the perception of residents, aggravated by a clear association of poverty to crime, drugs, and ugliness, reflect a broader challenge to the housing solution to spot an illegal occupation, speech real impediment to progress towards cities with higher degrees of social integration.