State-Vs. Community-Led Land Tenure Regularization in Tanzania

Abstract

The importance of security and certainty of land tenure among the urban poor cannot be overemphasised. A key justification for it is that tenure security provides incentives for investment in land and hence an impetus for improving economic opportunities and family livelihoods. In Dar es Salaam, restrictive formal property rights and tenure systems emanating from past land policies have consigned the majority of households to life within the informal urban settlements. Land rights in these areas are not recognised by Government authorities, meaning residents find it more difficult to access benefits enjoyed by inhabitants of the formally planned areas. Such benefits include access to municipal infrastructure and services, and the use of landholdings as collateral against loans from the formal financial institutions. Tenure regularization is believed to create many opportunities that can improve the lives of residents in …