Low-cost housing in India hits a wall

Chennai

SUSTAINABLE, low-cost homes must become the default option for builders and buyers amid increasing pressure on land and the environment, according to a leading architect in India, which has among the most densely populated cities on the planet.

While affordable housing is getting an enormous push in India because of a government goal of housing for all by 2022, it is a concept that must be embraced by all builders and aspiring home buyers, said architect Sheila Sriprakash.

"Cost effective homes can be quite easily done, but everyone wants plush looking homes with granite and marble," she said. "Low cost does not mean it has to look cheap or that you have to compromise on quality. Nor does affordable housing have to be only vertical towers o…