Community Design Agency (CDA) a design studio that works with marginalized communities and helps them design their living environment to improve their living conditions handed 33 homes in the project called 'Swapnapurti' to the residents of Sanjay Nagar, a slum area in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
This was done in collaboration with Snehalaya, a local NGO that works with the residents of slums in Ahmednagar and the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
This was the first phase of the handover of the entire project that comprises 298 families. The work for this project started in 2018 and it took them three years to deliver the first batch of homes to their owners. The uniqueness of this project is that each house was built and designed in consultation with the occupants of that house and keeping their needs in mind. This project is a classic example of what public-private partnerships can do to change the living standards of the marginalized community.
Made possible through PMAY- Urban along with funding support from Curry Stone Foundation and residents’ contribution towards construction, this project is a shift from the traditional housing models. The collaborative team’s mission is to deliver safe and healthy homes, jobs and training, community enrichment programs and further female homeownership, in order to co-create a vibrant and thriving community with the residents.
Design plans for the completed neighborhood include all essential amenities like water and drainage, roads, street lighting, childcare and community centers, courtyards for healthy recreation, edible gardens to support nutrition, and retail shops. The residents contributed to all design decisions, addressed social issues, compromised with their neighbors and even worked on construction teams to build their new homes.
“Building consensus through continuous dialogue amongst the 298 families required incredible will power, patience and versatility in our action plans” says Hanif Shaikh, Assistant Director, Snehalaya.
To participate in the project and become a homeowner, each family completed a residential application, applied for relevant government IDs, saved the funds needed once approved, and gave design input for their homes, all with constant coordination with Snehalaya. The eligibility criteria to apply for one of the new homes was determined by the PMAY - Urban program.
The redevelopment of Sanjaynagar is a public/private partnership, funded by the Indian Government, through its flagship Housing for All (PMAY- Urban) program, with support from Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation and the US based Curry Stone Foundation along with contribution from the residents. Additional funding is currently being raised through philanthropic donations.
