Direction: Slums are not caused by the poor but by the government denying people the right to own and exchange property. When people own their own property they have incentives to invest time, money and energy to improve it because they know that they will be able to benefit from any such improvements, i.e., the ability to obtain mortgage etc. In short, property rights beget capital, which begets innovation, which begets wealth. Sadly, the poor typically do not have a secure title to their land as there are bureaucratic restrictions on transferring title or there is no clear system for titling. Without legal deeds they live in constant fear of being evicted by municipal officials or landlords. Illiteracy is a major reason why the poor people often choose not to seek the protection of local courts.