The Centre for Poverty Analysis first published Urban Poverty in Sri Lanka in 2004. This brief was written by the Author and Azra Cader presented an overview of poverty in Sri Lanka with a special focus on the city of Colombo. The brief focuses on urban poverty in Sri Lanka with a special focus on the Colombo Metropolitan Area where urban poverty is most prevalent. It looks at the reactions to addressing urban poverty; challenges faced and highlight critical institutional and policy issues which affect attempts at addressing the problem. The brief also looks to identify priority areas for immediate intervention. Although the existence of rural and estate sector poverty has been acknowledged and discussed extensively since Independence, poverty in the urban sector has been relatively neglected due to lack of awareness. Correspondingly, the knowledge base as well as policy formulation and interventions were heavily biased towards the rural and estate sectors. However, over the last three decades, urban poverty has gained a certain degree of prominence with the gradual acknowledgement of its specific nature and the establishment of institutions with an urban focus. Hence the address of urban poverty issues has increasingly come to the forefront of policy and program interventions.