The study of Liselore Havermans includes 5 group discussions and structured interviews with 148 urban poor households of self help group members from federations supported by DHAN Foundation in Madurai, India. The measurement of vulnerability includes household characteristics, shocks, and coping mechanisms. Urban poor households are found to often experience health shocks and job loss, and cope with most shocks by taking loans. The results call for better financial management by poor households, development of micro insurance, and for poor urban households to move out of the slums. Comparable research among other groups further developed from the current study will add significantly to an inclusive view of vulnerability of the poor will lead to more insight in how to decrease the vulnerability of the poor.