The slum is a kind of urban informality that occured in the process of urbanization, especially in developing countries. The emergence and formation of the slum was the result of historical and practical factors. Now it is currently difficult to achieve the goal of “cities without slums”. Colonias populares is one of the manifestations of Mexican slums, most of which were formed in the mid1950s. Its causes involved social, economic and political aspects. Since the 1970s, Mexico has actively tackled slums, from initial legislative intervention to followup measures in the 1980s, with certain social effects. In the 1990s, with the advancement of the political democratization process and the implementation of the concept of “decentralization”,Mexico adopted a “Slum upgrading programme”，and it was pioneered in Tijuana. The root of the problem of slums is to finally solve the problem of the integration of “slumdwellers” into the city and give them “better shelter”. The slum is a manifestation of urban poverty. Urban poverty and rural poverty are two sides of the problem, both must be considered in the same overall framework in facing the issue of slums.Meanwhile, we must pay more attention to the role of the government in administer the slum.

Mexico Government; urban house; colonias populares; slum; poverty problem; urban poverty; social governance