Blog Archives
Urban Tree Homes: Affordable Housing without Compromising on Quality
The famous adage “veetai katti paaru, kalyanathai panni paaru” (Get a house built and get a marriage done) explains the challenge of owning a dream home as we embark on getting an apartment of our own. To many of us, a home is our dream we nourish and cherish and is no more a roof of our own as it was known earlier. Individual houses had its own pitfalls and ask the owners and the list of issues and problems in getting it built will continue to prolong. With the advent of apartment culture, the onus of building a house and delivering it to us has moved to the builders. Our understanding is that the builders are know it all and will deliver our dream home as we envisage it. But unfortunately, it has not been a smooth and happy journey for many and the focus is on getting the right builder to buy the apartment. It is no easy task and when we were invited to be a part of #UrbanTreeJourney of Urban Tree Homes to have a look at their ongoing projects, we were curious to know what the builder has for us, the consumers.
Affordable Housing Option in India for less than Rs.20,000 is Now a Reality
Can you build a house with just $300 (less than Rs18,000)? If your answer is the predictable ‘no’, read on for a ‘second opinion’. The ‘three-hundred-dollar’ (THD) house has become a reality, thanks to Tamil Nadu born Vijay Govindarajan, the globally celebrated innovator-strategist and Professor of International Business at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, USA. He teamed up with friends to evolve the prototype for the $300 eco-friendly house that could be built for the poor anywhere in the world. Find it interesting? Read on to for a chance to view the prototype…
Affordable Housing, Is Chennai Far Behind?
It is a common sight when few friends gather for a get together to discuss on things and the common topic thread today is the price rise, spiralling house rents, unaffordable housing options and the opportunity they missed buying out plots and houses at cheaper price earlier. We came across an interesting article by A Srivathsan, Deputy Editor of The Hindu.
Maniraj, a paper vendor on Velachery Main Road, had a tough time last year when he had to vacate his house. Until then he was paying Rs. 1,200 for a 350 sq.ft dwelling unit near Velachery Lake. The landlord raised the rent to Rs.6,000 and Maniraj and his family of four could not afford it. After great difficulty, he found a 200-sq.ft tenement in one of the labyrinthine lanes. “I now pay Rs. 4,500 per month, which includes electricity charges. This is more than what I spend on food every month,” he lamented.
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