Slums are the dark side of urbanization. HCM City has many slums with substandard houses stretching dozens of kilometers along two sides of canals, mainly in District 4, 7, 8 and Binh Thanh.

Some slums are located next to modern apartment and office buildings. These are slums on the Tau Hu canal, in District 4, located close to Khanh Hoi apartment buildings.

The slums have formed for decades.

Slums are located along or on the banks of major canals in the city, including Tau Hu, Thi Nghe, Te, Doi, and Tham Luong, which are all heavily polluted.

The slum areas are built with rusty iron sheets and rotting boards.

The entrance to a slum on Tran Xuan Soan Road, District 7.

The path to the slum is made from rotting wood pieces, which can fall down to the canal anytime.

The slums along Te and Doi canals, far behind the Bitexco building. Most of the waste is discharged directly into the water.

The slums on Thi Nghe canal, near Bui Huu Nghia Bridge, Binh Thanh District. Local people also discharge all waste directly into the canal.

Most of the houses are 3m wide, 15m long, with about 10m located on the water. However, the pillars are rotting and they can collapse at any time.

Kids have fun in the slums.

These houses are inhabited by poor families and working people.

Inside a slum.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hai, 57, said: "We always need clean water. The house always leaks and the roof blows off during storms or heavy rains."

A man naps.

The safety of these people, especially from risks of diseases from polluted environment, is a major concern.

"We just wish to get a cleaner place but it is only a dream," Mrs. Phuong said.

The number of modern buildings is increasing in the city. And next to them, poor people continue to live in the slums.

According to the HCM City Construction Department, there are over 17,000 slums in the city. It is difficult to relocate these houses because of lack of funding.