Home-based enterprises in low-income settlements; evidence from Pereira, Colombia

It is now widely recognised that low-income households in Third World cities often use their homes not only as a means of shelter, but also as a source of income. This paper focuses on the types of enterprises found in five low-income neighbourhoods in the intermediate sized city of Pereira, Colombia. It is argued that it is necessary not only to recognise the importance of home-based enterprises for the economies of low-income households, but also to consider how these enterprises vary between households and over time. As the nature of both individual household circumstances and of neighbourhoods alter over time, so do the types and number of home-based enterprises operating.