The Problem

Housing stress and inadequacy is mainly felt by the weaker and low-income sections of the society, particularly with the continuous rise in construction costs.

Basic housing is now beyond the reach of the people as the cost of construction is increasing by 50 percent over the normal inflation due to hike in the cost of construction materials and labour. The existing construction practices using conventional options have lead to misuse of scarce materials, besides causing environmental degradation.

Although there have been attempts at evolving appropriate and cost-effective technologies, but these have remained at the laboratory level. Furthermore, the “awareness” level of these alternative and sustainable options has been minimal among users as well as professionals (architects and engineers).

There is a distinct lack of training and skill upgradation not only for use of conventional but also for cost-effective technologies. Additionally there exists no appropriate delivery mechanism for housing at the field level.

There is an imperative need to utilize technology options leading to cost-effective solutions affordable by people especially the lower income groups. What is needed is to give a decisive shift in the selection and application of building materials and technologies leading to cost effectiveness and yet providing durable, functional and aesthetic options as against conventional options.

Its relevance to housing as an alternative option rather than an inferior option has to be clearly established and its application for categories of housing and building construction needs to be reinforced.

There is a challenge to sell these new options to the beneficiaries and to evolve suitable strategies using local initiatives to involve the beneficiaries, so as to minimize resistance to this "new" technology.