Update on housing

About two years ago, the Housing Service proposed that outlying Auroville lands be sold, and the major part of the proceeds used for land purchase in the city and greenbelt areas and a lesser part to create housing for those without financial means.

“Nothing came from that proposal,” says Joseba, one of the executives of the Housing Service. “At the time there were about 180 people without means needing a house or apartment. Today, there are at least a 100 people who are still without appropriate accommodation and who depend on the community to provide it.” He shrugs. “There are people in Auroville who would like to welcome anybody to join Auroville, irrespective of their financial situation. But the reality is that Auroville is in no position to give free accommodation.”

New housing projects

For those who have the means, new housing projects are coming up. The Swayam community is now fully occupied, with the last two buildings under construction. It houses around 50 people in 17 houses and apartments. The Invocation extension of 15 apartments is under construction with the first six flats due to be completed by March 2015, and the next six by May 2016. Clients for the last three apartments are still being solicited. Sacred Groves is under construction [see article on pages 4-5]. The Sanjana project, which has clients for 12 of its 20 apartments and which will house approximately 60 people, is ready to take off, but differences of opinion with L’Avenir d’Auroville have resulted in delays. with the No Objection Certificate still being awaited.

The Green Casbah project with a total of 40 apartments, 16 in its first phase, has received building permission but still lacks clients. The Kalpana project, which aims at building 55 apartments that will house about 100 people, is awaiting site permission; and Maitreye III, now called Serenity – a project of 10-12 houses to be built in between Maitreye I and II – is still on the drawing board.

“All these are excellent developments,” says Joseba. “But they will not provide much relief to those without means. In some of these projects it is the intention to make one or two apartments available for free – but there is no guarantee that, when the construction is ready, this will be possible as often the costs of construction exceed the estimates, with the consequence that the potentially free apartment has to be ‘sold’ in order to cover the price increases.”

Newcomer housing

Some relief for Newcomers can also be expected. The Maitreye II apartment building (27 apartments) will be ready by July or August this year. This apartment complex ‘ground + three’ has been built with a grant from the Government of India. Following the advice of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, Maitreye II will only house Newcomers for a limited period of time. “All they’ll have to pay is their share in the maintenance costs,” says Joseba. This will be a positive step as some Newcomers are now charged rents of up to Rs 25,000 a month for a house in the nearby villages and even for an apartment in Auroville. “We consider it unacceptable that a private Aurovilian or an Auroville guest house charges that much from a Newcomer,” says Joseba. “We would really welcome it if the FAMC would study the matter and come up with a ruling. We see this see as an abuse of the Newcomer, which goes against Auroville’s ideals.”

During their stay in Maitreye II, the Newcomers are supposed to look for a permanent house or apartment. “They are expected to put money into an ongoing or new housing project and move there once it is ready. If the completion of the new housing project is delayed, the Newcomer can continue to stay in Maitreye II as long as is required.”

Joseba also points at the new rule that Newcomers can get the money paid for a new house back if they leave. “The Newcomer period lasts for only one year, which is too short for the Newcomer to make that big commitment of donating the entire costs of the house, which now cost between Rs 20-30 lakhs, to Auroville. The new rule is that, during the one-year Newcomer period and then for a period of five years from the date of having become Aurovilian, they can get their money back if they decide to leave Auroville.”

Maitreye II is a testing ground for the Housing Service. There are about 55 Newcomer units spread all over Auroville, but this is the first time that one building will house so many Newcomers together. “We are curious how it will work out,” he says.

Temporary housing

A few years ago, the idea to start a project for temporary housing was mooted, called Transit Lounge. It would serve as an interim solution to the housing crisis by providing low-cost ‘dis mountable’ houses for a maximum period of two years. Eight different models of dis mountable houses were presented. But the project was objected to by a number of Aurovilians and finally got stuck.

The concept, however, hasn’t died. The Housing Service is now trying to develop a temporary housing project in the Pony Farm area; the Citadines community is also willing to host 13 dis-mountable units of 12 m2 each with common kitchen and toilets to accommodate young people without means who want to experiment with Auroville. These units would be connected to Citadines’ electricity, water and waste water connections and be demolished when permanent housing comes up in that area.

These two initiatives are in contrast to attempts made to build houses in existing communities. “More often than not, the residents object because they do not like the prospect of years of building activity and noise,” says Joseba. “But finding solutions to the housing crisis, even if they are temporary, is a community responsibility, imposed by Auroville’s ideal of fraternity.”