House steward’s absence

The Auroville Housing Policy stipulates that if a house steward has left Auroville for longer than 5 years, the stewardship lapses and the asset returns to the community, to be re-allocated by the Housing Service. The Housing Service has experienced, however, that it is almost impossible to ask the steward to release the stewardship even after 5, 8 or 10 years, even when the people have not lived during these years in Auroville or have just come for a few months a year. “There is a lot of pressure from friends and the stewards, and for this reason the relocation of these assets has simply been almost impossible in the last years,” writes the Housing Service. The Housing Service now proposes to change the Housing Policy in two ways. Those who will leave Auroville for good can be offered a repatriation payment. And those who leave temporarily can either give their house for temporary occupation by a Newcomer, in coordination with the Housing Service; or transfer their house permanently while the counter value would be deposited with Auroville to be used for acquiring a house in Auroville later. The proposals are still under discussion.