India

Context at a glance

A Habitat house in Trivandrum, India. The house that it replaced stands in the background

As India develops and strengthens its economy, the challenge is to ensure that prosperity is properly shared. The sheer size and diversity of India means that poverty, substandard housing and homelessness are present on a staggering scale.

More than 60 percent of the country's estimated 180 million dwellings are temporary or in a dilapidated condition. Poor quality bricks with cement or mud plastering are common. In rural areas, shelters often rely on mud, grass, leaves, reeds and bamboo. In urban areas, the poor, and migrants from the countryside, live within water conduits, under bridges, on train and bus platforms and in overcrowded slums.

India needs some 2.5 million new homes each year, just to keep pace with its growing population. The current shortfall is more than 41 million homes.

Habitat for Humanity programme

Habitat for Humanity India began operations in 1983 in Khammam in Andhra Pradesh, and is one of Habitat's largest country programmes. There are national offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, and affiliates working in the south, east and west. New partnerships are being formed with corporate supporters and non-governmental organisations to extend Habitat's reach in northern India.

The December 2004 tsunami left thousands homeless, along a 1,500 kilometre stretch of coastline. Habitat has established a network of disaster response centres and, in partnership with other organisations, plans to help 10,000 families over the next two years. Habitat has worked on other disaster relief initiatives. HFH Cuttack rebuilt communities after a super-cyclone hit. And, in the northwestern province of Gujarat, Habitat worked with World Vision to provide 541 homes following an earthquake in 2001.

House designs and materials vary with climate and location. Typically, a home covers 22 sq. m. to 35 sq. m. Foundations are made from stone and cement, walls of clay or mud bricks, and roofs from cement, tin alloy or clay/cement tiles. Mortgage loan repayments average £5–8 a month with repayment periods lasting up to six years.

There is an active volunteer programme involving locally-based students and churches, as well as up to 20 international teams of volunteer builders each year.

Focus on India

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