The Yangon Region Government has teamed up with UN Habitat (Myanmar) to find sustainable solutions for Yangon’s slums and informal settlements, where over 500,000 people are experiencing obstacles for dwelling, state media reported.

“We need to draw short-term and long-term plans for the upgrade of slums,” said U Phyo Min Thein, the Yangon Region Chief Minister, at a recently concluded workshop on Slums and Informal Settlements in Yangon Region, and he promised to find ways to provide job opportunities, income, education, and healthcare to slum dwellers.

As a possible short-term solution, the Yangon government plans to arrange for low-cost housing zones and basic infrastructure, the report said.