This study sheds light on the informal residential areas around central Oran, Algeria, symbolised by the roofs and cellars of residential buildings clumsily dotted about. It is a phenomenon that spread across most Algerian cities following the housing crisis, distorting the infrastructure and cityscape. The study examines the social aspect of the relationship between the housing and the strategies of the inhabitants in navigating a social space based on multiple social ties. The inhabitants and the residences merge to form a relationship of belonging and interdependence.