Developing Country Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-607X (Paper) ISSN 2225-0565 (Online) Vol.4, No.11, 2014 10 Causes and Remedy of Squatting in Burayu Town, Ethiopia Degu Bekele (Correspondent Author) Ethiopian Civil Service University,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia E-mail: degbeni@yahoo.com Professor Melesse Asfaw Ethiopian Civil Service University,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia E-mail: drmelesse@gmail.com Professor S.S.A. Jafri Ethiopian Civil Service University,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia E-mail: jafrissa@gmail.com Abstract The first dilemma that millions of poor in urban areas of the developing world face and which is likely to persist for a long period is the question of adequate housing. In this regard, 70 per cent of the urban population of Ethiopia is living in slums and squatter settlements. This article is on accessibility of land for residential purpose and existing squatter settlements in Burayu town in Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. The population of Burayu town is 100,200 (2010) and the town is located about 15 kilo meters from the city limits of Addis Ababa metropolis, the capital of Ethiopia. The town is characterized by many land related problems like proliferation of squatter settlements, expansion of slums and other illegal land developments. This article tries to identify the root causes for squatting and assess the major local government responses in Burayu town. By the combination of random and purposive sampling method, 246 squatter households were selected from different sections of the town and quantitative data and qualitative information were collected from primary as well as secondary sources to analyze. The result shows that on the contrary to many studies conducted on similar areas, the root cause for development and expansion of squatter settlements in Burayu town is not economic poverty of the squatter households. Rather, the main reason found is cumbersome procedures and very poor performance of Land Development and Management Agency to deliver the land to the aspirants. Inability of the local government to cope up with the fast urbanization and increasing demand of land for housing is obvious. Keywords: Squatter, Accessibility and Squatter Settlements 1. Introduction: Ministry of Urban Development and Construction of Ethiopia (2011) reported that more than 40 per cent of urban population of Ethiopia lives within below poverty line which is characterized by problems related to shelter (homelessness, substandard housing including slum and squatter settlements). According to the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (2007), Oromia National Regional State is the largest region in Ethiopia and accounted for 41 per cent of urban centers in the country. Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfine is the name given to a zone which was established in August 2008 as one of the eighteen zones of Oromia National Regional State. This Zone is located in the central part of Oromia National Regional State and the administrative center of the zone is located in Addis Ababa city. Burayu town is one of the nine municipal town administrations in Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfine. It is located towards the North West on the way to Ambo, about 15 KM from the outside limits of Addis Ababa metropolis, the capital of Ethiopia (Fig 1).