Which term describes neighborhoods where extreme poverty, homelessness, and lawlessness are common?

• A. Kibera
• B. Suburbs
• C. Favelas
• D. Cortiços

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is informal urban settlements that arise when rapid city growth outpaces affordable housing, leading to dense, self-built neighborhoods with limited services. Favelas are the term most associated with this description because they describe these kinds of informal communities in urban Brazil, where extreme poverty, overcrowded housing, and limited access to formal services are common realities.

Kibera is a specific slum in Nairobi, not a general category of neighborhoods, so it’s not the broad term that fits all contexts. Suburbs are outlying residential areas and aren’t inherently defined by poverty or lawlessness. Cortiços refer to crowded rental rooms or tenement housing in some Portuguese-speaking regions, not the larger informal neighborhoods themselves.