The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word SLUM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
L
U
M
More clues leading to the result SLUM
- Some Paris luminaries in poor part of city
- Poor area with big business failure unending
- 50, in total, in wretched dwelling
- Squalid place where many people live, fifty in all
- Depression not ending for poor neighbourhood
- Shantytown problem inexperienced driver included
- Tot crosses line in poor area
- Problem of numbers engulfing Portugal’s last ghetto
- Some abstemious luminaries in Number Ten? Hardly!
- Poor area in endless recession
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "poor area" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case poor area = slum.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SLUM mean?
SLUM noun- A dilapidated neighborhood where many people live in a state of poverty.
- Inexpensive trinkets awarded as prizes in a carnival game.
- To visit a neighborhood of a status below one's own.
- Slumgullion; a meat-based stew