LOW COST HOUSING

PRESENTED BY ARUNIT ACHARJEE

Low Cost Housing : It is a new concept which deals

with effective budgeting and following of techniques which help in reducing the cost construction through the use of locally available materials along with improved skills and technology without sacrificing the strength, performance and life of the structure. There is huge misconception that low cost housing is suitable for only sub standard works and they are constructed by utilizing cheap building materials of low quality. The fact is that Low cost housing is done by proper management of resources. Economy is also achieved by postponing finishing works or implementing them in phases.

Areas from where cost can be reduced are:1) Reduce plinth area by using thinner wall concept.Ex.15 cms thick solid concrete block wall. 2) Use locally available material in an innovative form like soil cement blocks in place of burnt brick.

3) Use energy efficiency materials which consumes less energy like concrete block in place of burnt brick.
4) Use environmentally friendly materials which are substitute for conventional building components like use R.C.C. Door and window frames in place of wooden frames. 5) Preplan every component of a house and rationalize the design procedure for reducing the size of the component in the building 6) By planning each and every component of a house the wastage of materials due to demolition of the unplanned component of the house can be avoided.

Cost reduction through adhoc methods:

Foundation: Normally the foundation cost comes to about 10 to 15% of the total building and usually foundation depth of 3 to 4 ft. is adopted for single or double store building and also the concrete bed of 6(15 Cms.) is used for the foundation which could be avoided. edge can be. Roofing: Normally 5(12.5 cms) thick R.C.C. slabs is used for roofing of residential buildings. By adopting rationally designed insitu construction practices like filler slab and precast elements the construction cost of roofing can be reduced by about 20 to 25% Walling: Wall thickness of 6 to 9 is recommended for adoption in the construction of walls allround the building and 41/2 for inside walls. It is suggested to use burnt bricks which are immersed in water for 24 hours and then shall be used for the walls Rat trap bond wall: It is a cavity wall construction with added advantage of thermal comfort and reduction in the quantity of bricks required for masonry work. By adopting this method of bonding of brick masonry compared to traditional English or Flemish bond masonry, it is possible to reduce in the material cost of bricks by 25% and about 10to 15% in the masonry cost.

Objective:
To promote community wellbeing through better provision of housing to meet diverse community needs:
A principle of promoting community well-being implies that housing needs to be recognised as central to community wellbeing to gain the focus it deserves, and to ensure that strategies for its improvement are successful. A number of more specific objectives fall under this general objective. In relation to housing, the two most frequently cited involve appropriateness and affordability.

To give households access to housing that is appropriate to their needs:

Appropriate housing meets the needs of residents in terms of size, physical attributes and location. Housing should be of a sufficient standard that it is safe and does not affect the health or wellbeing of household members in a negative way. It should accommodate the daily requirements of residents, and allow sufficient space and privacy for all. If household members have special needs, their housing must also accommodate them adequately.

Steps of low cost housing:

1. Start a Design-focused Workbook for the Project. 2. Review Design Advisor resources: the Design Considerations Checklist, the Gallery of Successful Projects and the Tools section. 3. Understand where design fits in the development timeline.

4. Obtain professional design assistance at the very beginning.

5. Analyze target occupants and establish resident-related design goals for the project. 6. Analyze the surrounding neighbourhood and establish community-related design goals for the project. 7. Analyze the potential site to make sure they can physically accommodate the proposed project and provide easy access to the amenities and services its residents will need.

8. Begin cost analyses.

9. Assemble the right project design team.

9. Assemble the right project design team. 10. Develop a minimum of 3 alternative site plan concepts for the project.

11. Use the Design Considerations Checklist to guide the design process.
12. Use the Operation & Maintenance Considerations Checklist to reality check the design process

13. Identify and prioritize the key design components of the project - those that will do the most to meet user needs, respond to the context and enhance the neighbourhood.
14. Stress the project's design quality in all funding and regulatory applications . 15. Identify and prioritize the key construction materials and systems for the project those which are most critical to making the project "built to last. 16. Identify and prioritize the key finishes and hardware for the project - those which are most critical to making the project "built to last.

17. Monitor bids and review any material, system, finish or hardware substitutions to ensure that design objectives, especially the "built to last" goal, are not compromised.

18. Monitor construction to ensure that all key design, construction and finish goals are being met. 19. Create an operation and maintenance manual for the project.

Benefits of low-income housing reduced:

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 eliminates many of the tax benefits associated with investing in low-income housing, while real estate investment trusts (REIT) receive favourable treatment. The rehabilitation costs for low-income rental housing can no longer be depreciated over 60 months. This depreciation is replaced by a tax credit which may be claimed over 10 years in maximum new annual amounts of 4 to 9 percent. The qualification criteria for the credit and the recapture rules for this credit are discussed. The requirements for REITs have been relaxed: a REIT does not have to meet the minimum 100-shareholder test in its first year if the personal stock holding requirement is met. The definition of rent income has also been relaxed under the new law.

Conclusion

The above list of suggestion for reducing construction cost is of general nature and it varies depending upon the nature of the building to be constructed, budget of the owner, geographical location where the house is to be constructed, availability of the building material, good construction management practices etc.

THANK YOU