In the São Paulo urban sprawl description, what housing outcome occurred due to affordability constraints?

• A. High-rise luxury apartments were built on the city outskirts
• B. The formation of favelas and precarious tenements appeared
• C. A comprehensive, city-wide sewage system was implemented
• D. Rural housing reforms reduced informal settlements

Answer: (B)

Affordability constraints in housing push people to seek shelter where rents and prices are lower, often resulting in informal settlements on marginal land near the city. In São Paulo, rapid urban growth outpaced formal housing supply, so many low-income residents moved into makeshift communities—favelas and precarious tenements—on the outskirts or on less acceptable sites because that was the only way to secure a place to live near employment. These settlements typically lack secure tenure and basic services, which is exactly the outcome described by affordability-driven urban sprawl.

The other options don’t fit this pattern. Building high-rise luxury apartments on the outskirts would reflect wealthier development rather than affordability-driven housing choices. Implementing a comprehensive sewage system is an infrastructure improvement, not a housing outcome caused by affordability pressures. Rural housing reforms reducing informal settlements don’t align with the urban sprawl context, where the issue is urban housing supply and informal urbanization rather than rural housing.