Overseas slums might hold the solution to Auckland's housing crises.

A Unitec student might have found a solution to Auckland's housing crises amidst the slums of developing countries.

Former squatters living in established slums were able to improve their dwellings to a middle-class standard over time, Pedro Weber said in his masters thesis.

In contrast, low-income people in Auckland were marginalised to economic stagnation and high levels of debt, he said.

"I'm not advocating for slums. I'm just recognising that some aspects in slum culture helps people get better housing."

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The Glen Eden resident said studies in the 1950s found people in slums overseas could get ahead, but government-provided housing developments often became ghettos.

Patrick John HANRAHAN Overseas slums often develop into middle-class suburbs over time, Weber says.

"Because they have such freedom, economic flexibility and ability to compromise [in slums], they were able to eventually establish middle-class dwellings."

Weber's masters thesis explored a concept called incremental housing, and how it might work in an Auckland concept.

The idea was to build middle-class, quality housing as small and basic as possible so that it was affordable to people, but to design the layout to allow community space and room to organically expand.

1 of 4 PEDRO WEBER/SUPPLIED First, small houses would be built that catered to resident's basic and immediate needs, Pedro Weber said. 2 of 4 PEDRO WEBER/SUPPLIED Houses would be added to organically as families' needs grew. 3 of 4 PEDRO WEBER/SUPPLIED Over time the buildings would expand, with community space set aside. 4 of 4 PEDRO WEBER/SUPPLIED A mature middle-class area would emerge as residents got ahead in life.

He chose Ōtāhuhu in south Auckland for his hypothetical housing estate as it was central, close to transport links and would support low-income social mobility.

The occupants would be able to afford to expand their dwellings as their families and needs grew, escaping from the poverty trap.

It was already Kiwi culture to add on to houses to expand their capacity, he said.

PEDRO WEBER/SUPPLIED People in Auckland often made additions to dwellings as needs changed, such as this corner dairy annexed to a house in Avondale, Weber said.

"Auckland city faces a housing crises that affects and marginalises low-income residents the most," Weber said.

"This oppressive reality is most evident with the people who have 'fallen through the cracks', those who are neither supported by the state nor can afford the private market.

"They live in garages, cars, overcrowded houses and severely dilapidated houses that rival third-world slums."

Weber said such incremental housing in Auckland could empower low-income groups and make them active participants in their own shelter.