Aishwarya Shekar

Housing Policies and Programs

The concept of incremental housing is a gradual process wherein a starter core shelter is provided (a multipurpose room with kitchen and toilet facilities) and building components are added or improved by the owner as capital, time, or materials become available. This results in the reduction of the initial housing construction costs as well, making the unit more affordable. It can be considered as a step ahead of sites and services, wherein buyers are only provided with a plinth, basic infrastructure services and are expected to build as per their requirements. The current program, beneficiary led construction under the PMAY initiative encourages incrementality by providing financial assistance for the families belonging to EWS categories. This is a summary poster of the paper which aims to understand incremental housing through a case study of the artist village in Belapur, which was the first incremental project to be carried out in India.