Jaunapur Slum Resettlement Scheme

The Jaunapur Slum Resettlement Project in Delhi, India is a pilot scheme creating 57 low-cost homes on hilly land once considered unusable. It demonstrates that degraded land can be transformed into sustainable housing while keeping costs low and involving the community in construction and maintenance.
Delhi has over 14m people, with 4m living in slums under unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Conventional housing projects are slow, costly, and often fail due to land shortages and government inefficiency. This project provides a new model by using cheap land, simple construction methods, and active resident participation.
The homes are built in clusters of nine units. Each cluster share toilets, a bath, a washing area, and a small courtyard. Every unit is 15.8 m² and can be expanded to 31.6 m². A basic structure with a roof is provided, and families finish the walls themselves using materials from their former homes and locally made hollow blocks. This approach reduces costs and discourages selling or trading the units.
Water and sanitation are designed for self-sufficiency. Water flows by gravity into underground tanks, and wastewater is treated on-site to irrigate fruit plantations. Cluster-based management makes maintenance easier and encourages community ownership.
Construction focuses on low-cost, resource-efficient methods like funicular shell roofs and minimal steel use. Local stone and blocks reduce costs and environmental impact. At $1,100 per home, the project is almost half the price of traditional municipal housing.
Socially, the cluster design builds community identity, prevents encroachment, and offers healthier living conditions than the slums. Financially, residents contribute labour and materials, while future income can come from small shops and local transport services.
This model is transferable, cost-effective, and sustainable, offering a new way to address urban housing shortages.