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Sustainable
Understanding sustainable strategies in
strategies in low-cost housing low-cost
housing
Gokul Krishna J., Roshan R. and Sivapriya S.V.
Department of Civil Engineering,
Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Chennai, India 413
Received 14 May 2019
Revised 17 July 2019
Abstract Accepted 29 July 2019

Purpose – This paper aims to understand the incorporation of sustainability methods of construction
through the study of a low-cost housing Tamil Nadu Housing Board settlement in a locality in Chennai, India.
Such a study helps to arrive at proper design decisions and incorporate a participatory approach involving
the residents to enable the developers, here the decision-makers of the government, cater to the local interests.
Design/methodology/approach – First, a survey was conducted to understand the local conditions and
people’s aspirations. Along with this, the parameters pertaining to a green housing were derived and
compared with the needs of the locals, to arrive at the most influencing parameters by decision-making trial
and evaluation laboratory model (DEMATEL) analysis.
Findings – The study finds that parameters viz. “ensuring basic services” and “social inclusivity” happen to
be the causal factors that seem to influence the needs of the locals. These factors therefore can guide the future
plans to redevelop the settlement or construct similar settlements in a more sustainable way.
Originality/value – This paper is a unique study to combine the twin pillars of low-cost housing and
sustainability, which helps in developing settlements that are conducive to the city’s socio-developmental
requirements as well as respectful of the natural environment. Further, the analysis conducted through
DEMATEL method could essentially guide the decision-maker to tackle urban challenges in the most locally
suitable and sustainable approach.
Keywords Survey, Public participation, Sustainable, DEMATEL, Social housing, Green Building
Paper type Viewpoint

1. Introduction
Housing is one of the key parameters that determine the balance of growth in a nation. It
guarantees improved access to sanitation, electricity and education and thereby life
satisfaction from an individualistic perspective. Apart from this, proper housing could
promise better health facilities, employment access, an improved and equitable distribution
of public and private infrastructure. Along these lines, housing psychologically is expected
to boost the spirit of the workforce (Gopalan and Venkataraman, 2015).
This reflection of housing as an essential shelter for human dignity, physical and mental
health is what that mandates adequate housing as one of the basic human needs, as per
United Nations. However, the study regarding this fundamental obligation of the
government to get involved in guaranteeing households for every citizen and improving
them, needs to be associated with the major social factors surrounding the construction
market(UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1994). Primarily in a
developing country like India, the grand objective of meeting the housing demands in the
wake of large-scale urbanization and city development has remained unfulfilled over
International Journal of Housing
decades. Often, rapid migration from rural to urban households creates proliferations, which Markets and Analysis
are characterized by acute over-crowding, unsanitary and unhealthy living conditions with Vol. 13 No. 3, 2020
pp. 413-425
little access to basic services (Suresh, 2011). Besides, with construction industry being a © Emerald Publishing Limited
1753-8270
highly resource-intensive sector, the environmental concerns raised due to indiscriminate DOI 10.1108/IJHMA-05-2019-0050
IJHMA demands of people towards housing also call for a proper optimization of resources and a
13,3 mindset for sustainability. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing, India found shortage of
housing for 18.78 million of households during the 12th5-year plan period; highlighting the
importance of improving the standards of households (Gopalan and Venkataraman, 2015).
Therefore, it can be cited that the housing sector in India faces an array of challenges right
from meeting housing demands and residents’ dissatisfaction to global adversities of
414 resource shortages that pose threat to a sustainable future.
To the contrary, in a report published by World Economic Forum, rising urbanization
can be interpreted as a transformative source of sustainable development of all human
settlements, when properly planned and managed. Solutions to poverty, pollution and
security can be derived through proper planning of houses. This paper is aimed to serve as a
probable guideline to assess how low-cost housing and sustainability, what looks like two
discrete motives in construction industry in India, can be coupled and understood to ensure
future successes in construction projects and programs (UN-Habitat and Housing Unit,
2016). The concept of Social Sustainable Housing (SSH) can be related to one that
incorporates green building (GB) strategies as solutions to not just architectural and
engineering problems in a settlement, but in a way gratifies the aforementioned social issues
as well.
In pursuit of aiming to create such SSH units, this paper helps to understand the vital
parameters of housing by encouraging the people’s view of their settlements. By comparing
the feasibility of these resident aspirations and weighing them down on the marks of the
designers’ objective and global sustainability, the most prospective planning approach to
achieve this suitable and sustainable social housing is thus derived. This solution could
potentially combine the most influential green housing parameters as well the locally
pressing issues, thereby prioritizing human requirements and preferences and promoting a
social inclusion that leads to the stimulation of a sustainable future.

2. Social housing and sustainability

The formulation of SSH in practice can be understood through the macroscopic ideology
behind Integrative Design Process, that describes how environmental and yet cost effective
homes can be created. Better performance tracking, operational strategies and awareness
help build a business case for enhancing the prospects of GB (Reed, 2009). Along with this, a
sociable neighborhood and efficient housing development practices are additional factors
that promote inclusivity and livability in public housing programs, like in Singapore
(Petrullo, 2018; Jha, 2018).
Meanwhile, the conspicuous urgency to ensure adequate housing calls for a paradigm
shift in its framework of national urban planning and policy making- with housing as the
focal point of the debate around urbanization and socio-developmental dimensions of the
cityscape. In the Indian context, there are disparities seen in the aspiration of housing
affordability among the low-income sections, and more often than not, it is the government’s
pro-poor policies that need to provide affordable housing (AH) for all. The recent policies
taken up by the government to tackle the lack of proper AH thereby promise a boom in
construction sector. “The Housing for all by 2022” prescribes certain mandatory reforms for
easing up urban land market for housing. It is done by addressing their primary objectives
which include:

slum rehabilitation with participation of private developers; and

AH, (National mission for urban housing, 2015) by giving subsidy of 6.5 per cent
and crediting it entirely to the 20-year loan to the account of applicant to reduce the
 EMI, allowing withdrawals from Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) Sustainable
subject to conditions. AH was regarded with the vital infrastructure status in the strategies in
Union Budget 2017-18 (Relli, 2017).
low-cost
Likewise, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) will housing
bring in increased activity in infrastructure-related sectors. Norms for Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in 15 sectors, including real estate and construction development have now
been eased and this has very positive implications for the larger economy. The introduction 415
of Good and Service Tax (GST) will ease tax-related complexities and township housing and
infrastructure is expected to bring in major spurt in growth (Jain, 2016a, 2016b).
With the parallels of sustainability in AH coming into the bigger picture, the potential for
inclusion of the GB principles in building regulations and bye-laws are also slowly
recognized. The 2007 National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, in its AH section
emphasizes on the need to explore technology options so as to procure energy and cost
efficiency. In “Housing for all by 2022”, a technology submission is expected to facilitate
adoption of modern green technologies and materials, for faster and quality construction.
However, it can be observed that only the effective implementation of these
governmental objectives help the respondents in the ground benefit out of such schemes. In
other words, it is necessary for a designer (who is involved in the planning stage of the
development housing project) to create households based on the needs and wants of
the stakeholders involved, so as to create socially sustainable settlements throughout the
cityscape. Understanding the subjectivity of what is a need and what is a want for these
various stakeholders do present cases with several ambiguities. A “need” in housing need
not always pertain to the buyers. A developer’s need from the government for interest-free
subsidies in loans, or a reduced land costs in the midst of increasing land price, becomes a
“need” or a “want”, depending on the boundary between them. Now, with sustainability
coming into picture the need is for the city as a whole with respect to its planning and
invariably even the planet of the future. Why to feed the future the fruits of the present’s
sacrifices when they aren’t beneficiaries is in itself a justifiable argument (Arman et al.,
2009). Nevertheless, somewhere down the line it all comes down to this moral obligation of
recognizing each member in a society as eligible to equal opportunities to resources.
Therefore, it is very important that there is some clarity drawn to demarcate such moral and
perceptive ambiguities and arrive at proper design decisions to look at how much of
sustainable needs and how little of unsustainable wants, is actually sustainable.
This argument can be extended to an assessment conducted to understand the
architectural approach to Iraqi housing problems, wherein the needs and wants needn’t
reflect as potential adequacy to solve the AH crisis there. It was found that the people’s
major preference of housing was for the Bespoke mode of housing over the mass
construction of multi-family buildings, which is touted to satisfy their current housing
sector requirements. The established parameters taken for study clearly indicate how the
Iraqi respondents appreciate sufficient living area and privacy and abilities to make
modifications in their dwellings in Bespoke housing, despite seeming to understand the
prevailing conditions there. Though the study intended there was about AH specifically to
satisfy an economically weaker section, the governance of preferences for any resident much
above their need-satisfaction is putting too much pressure on the developer’s feasibility to
satisfy the masses, also defeating the very purpose of overall sustainability as well
(Al-Hafith et al., 2018). While a centralized planning system and an institutional structure
can be identified as the root cause of success in social housing of Singapore, there are ample
instances, like the social housing scenario in Beijing, to show a low level residential
IJHMA empowerment in these very systems as well(Lin, 2018). This is where even the minute
13,3 demarcations between the lines of unsatisfactory promise in sustainable housing and a
preferential delivery of what is unsustainable housing must be thoroughly understood. The
overturning of preferences as the priority for ensuing housing to all often intersperses with
the shortcomings of a long-time sustainable model, where a plausible unification of every
small-scale green improvement tend to contribute to a significantly positive impact much
416 more than a drastic architectural transformation, which may or may not suit every element
of the housing problem.
Conversely, in Ganesh Nagar D, a slum area in the southern part of Greater Mumbai
spanning just 3,800 m2, for about 1,900 people, slum area was rehabilitated by the people
themselves, with comparatively greater living space of 225 sq.ft and introduction of private
toilets at home. With the help of NGO and through establishment of Ganesh Nagar Housing
Co-Operative for finance, the residents could devise solutions for the problems themselves
(Nijman, 2008). Therefore, by bearing a strong rationale for economy and overall
sustainability in mind, a sustainable design that complements the fairly satisfactory needs
and wants through laid-out local assessments lay as fundamental criterion to be keenly
looked upon.

3. Methodology
In this study, the residents who belong to the specific settlement are involved directly in
influencing their vested interests to bring about the sustainable design that can be proposed
to develop the locality. Despite a large variance in perception and lack of shared
understanding, participatory planning at its heart involves understanding of how
effectiveness arises with relevance and responsiveness of the end-users. Smith argues that
the ultimate intention of an environmental design lies in “providing meaningful professional
service to popular community”, and according to Fitch, is a result of “healthy democratic
base of popular participation” (Jeong et al., 2017; Smith, 2011; Fitch and Bobenhausen, 1999).
Thus, a collaborative approach in planning of houses with the local residents is a step
forward to foster a sense of ownership and also illustrate the ground concerns with the
stipulated design principles in a better way (Jeong et al., 2012). As per Census 2011,
the rising trend of vacant houses to about 11.1 million in urban areas apparently exposes the
lack of housing catering to the residents’ needs and aspirations (Jain, 2016a, 2016b).
The selected place of interest for this research in Chennai is a Tamil Nadu Housing Board
(TNHB) Colony in Rani Anna Nagar, which houses 1,744 Households (as of January 2019) in
39 blocks. Chennai, the capital of state Tamil Nadu of India, is one of the four metropolitan
cities of India, located on the eastern coast. When Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement
and Clearance Act) was passed in 1970 and Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) set
up that time, World Bank had decided to collaborate with the Madras Urban Development
Project (MUDP) in 1977. After the insistence of World Bank on proper rehabilitation of
slums in Chennai on the same land with local residents given titles and supports (Venkat
and Subadevan, 2015), this TNHB tenement construction began in 1980 and allotment was
completed in mid-1980s. The value of each house back in 1983 came up to Rs. 18,000, with
the low-income residents (chosen through random selection) having to pay an initial
advance up to Rs. 4,000, and the rest in installments of Rs. 90-100 monthly. The current land
value of the same house is around Rs. 485,000 as per TNSCB.
The study conducted is to accommodate a participative approach to the design principles
of developing settlements like these. The inclusion of the interests of the local residents
along with the conventional framework of green housing parameters can be done using the
decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory model (DEMATEL) Analysis. DEMATEL
is a method of analysis that can be used to aid decision-making of several managerial Sustainable
problems like supply chain management, service quality and others. For example, in a study strategies in
conducted on an automotive industry to counter environmental issues due to automobiles,
DEMATEL method was used to find the most efficient green design method. It gave an
low-cost
accurate analysis of the parameters used, their interdependent relationship and hence their housing
level of influence over another (Govindan et al., 2015). In the real estate market of Bialystok,
a qualitative analysis regarding the statistics of a particular area was conducted using this
method, which enabled the investor to make a prudent investment decision (Gołabeska,
417
2018). In another study, the major cause of risks in construction projects and its influence
over the other factors was conducted using DEMATEL Analysis (Vafadarnikjoo et al., 2016)
. In this study to understand how SSH parameters can be incorporated to the pertaining
Low-Income Group Settlement in Chennai, India, the DEMATEL method was carried out
using the computations of related green housing parameters that are involved in a SSH and
the influence of one factor over another is analyzed. Potentially, the energy that can be saved
through GB concept is around 40-50 per cent for new buildings and up to 20-25 per cent in
existing buildings (Jayaprakash, 2009). Increased health of building occupants, low water
use and better recycling efforts to reduce operation and maintenance costs were generally
considered as detrimental factors in GB(Jerry Yudelson, 2008). The green housing
parameters that are considered for the study was also based on a “touchstone exercise”
carried out with the objective of devising the essential requirements for a SSH project for a
LEED Platinum Certification building (Reed, 2009). The following parameters that
constitute a SSH was taken for further analysis:

green design (GD);

ensuring basic services (EBS);

selection of materials (SOM);

lesser embodied energy (LEE);

inclusivity (I); and

durability and resilience (DAR).

The parameter which is the most influential among them was attained and the related
factors which tend to serve as the major cause or act as the underlying effect due to the
significance of that parameter are suitably determined. In the context of social housing, such
an analysis potentially can direct the designer to adopt the most resident-friendly and
sustainable approach to ascertain the importance and role of the related parameters in this
most-ideal solution.

4. Field study
As a preliminary approach to understand the ramifications of basic building solutions that
are generally adopted, a participatory exercise from the residents of the Low Income Group
TNHB Settlements of Chennai, India is done, wherein the basic amenities of their households
were discussed. Their expectations and aspirations were understood through a
questionnaire that is answered by them. 17 housing parameters, which are derived from the
revised definition of UN-Habitat (which include provision of basic amenities include water
supply, sanitation, community spaces and health-care facilities) were considered for this
survey. In this dedicated LIG settlement spanning up to 6.5 acres in the locality named Rani
Anna Nagar, 455 people from 455 different households were interviewed (UN Habitat, 2007).
The questionnaire was prepared after initial dialogues with a few respondents and a
IJHMA personal discussion with Aranganathan, Vice President, “Rani Anna Nagar Kudiyiripor
13,3 Nalvazhvu Sangam” (translated to Rani Anna Nagar Residents Welfare Association), to
understand the prevailing conditions and the vested interests of the locals. The
questionnaire directly or implicitly addressed these factors for which responses were given
by them on a scale of 1 to 5, based on how much they agree with each of the statements.
Based on these responses, the importance of each parameter (which correlates to
418 livability of a proper social housing) was computed by the basic Relative Importance Index
(RII) formula [equation (1)] (Lukuman et al., 2017). This is generally used for simple
statistical computations. The RII value is indicative of the people’s choice of resident
amenities, and is a primary input consideration for the DEMATEL analysis to be conducted.
As the aim of the study is to couple the constituents of sustainable housing along with these
resident’s requirements to arrive at the most efficient design decisions, RII values influence
the green housing parameters in this analysis and guide the designer to arrive at green
housing solutions that cater to their needs and aspirations:

ðFrequency of each weight * weightÞ

RII ¼ (1)
ðMaximum weight * Total number of peopleÞ

The Steps involved in DEMATEL method are as follows:

Developing the direct relation matrix:

The direct relation matrix is developed of size n, with n being the number of
parameters considered. In this study, the number of sustainable housing parameters
considered were six. Each element in this matrix (aij), where i and j are the variables
for the row and column respectively indicates the level of influence each parameter i
has on j. The level of influence of each factor is determined by the formula:
X
wðkÞx xij
aij ¼ X (2)
wmaxðkÞ

xij – RII, computed from the respondents’ purview of satisfaction to those housing
factors w(k) – Importance weight of each expert, for which the value ranges from 0 to
1 are postulated on the scale of 0.25 each (Table I), based on the relative importance
derived from the responses of the initial survey (k variable indicates each of the 17
parameters) and the degree of relevance of the housing factor to the mutual relation of
the two sustainable housing parameters considered in i and j matrix. This is classified
on the basis of what kind of impact the need or want factor has on the studied
parameters.
wmax(k)- maximum importance weight = 1 given to each of the 17 parameters.

Scale Level of influence

0 No influence
Table I. 0.25 A want with less relevance
Level of influence of 0.5 A want with appreciable relevance, or a need with less relevance
a parameter over 0.75 A want with appreciable relevance
another 1 Mandatory

Normalizing the matrix of direct relation: Sustainable
By computing the sum of each row elements and arriving at the maximum value,
strategies in
each element of the direct relation matrix a ij is divided by this maximum sum to low-cost
normalize the direct relation matrix. This normalized matrix is denoted as X: housing
x¼KA (3)
K = reciprocal of maximum sum of elements in a row i: 419

To find the total relation matrix.

After deducing the normalized matrix X, the total relation matrix is found by the
formula:
1
T ¼ xð I  xÞ (4)
T = Total relation matrix, as computed from the following relation; and
I = Identity matrix of size n.

To draw the causal diagram.

The sum of elements of each row in the total relation matrix T is tabulated to find the
influence factor D. Similarly, the sum of elements of each column j in the matrix is found
to be the influenced factor R. For each corresponding factor involved in social housing,
the prominence of the parameter to influence the conditions of the considered SSH
locality is then understood by addition of its corresponding (D þ R) values of each row
and column side. The parameter having maximum (D þ R) value is said to have the
maximum prominence or the maximum influence over the others present. For each
corresponding parameter involved, the “cause and effect” relation as explained is found
by the formula (D – R) respectively. This identifies the extent of how much consideration
must be given to that parameter while deciphering the right planning approach.
Technically, the factors having the positive values of D – R are said to be the cause for the
other factors involved in social housing. The factors having negative (D – R) values are
said to be the effects that are encountered in the adopted approach (Govindan et al., 2015).

5. Observation and discussion

Table II is indicative of RII value for the parameters adopted for the study. Such a study
demonstrates the following observations:

absolute average of the prevailing conditions in the city for a commoner who is
migrating to the LIG area;

basic factors that influence people’s choice of residence; and

basic data from whereon, how much of sustainable “needs” and “wants” is actually
sustainable and practicable.

Understanding the people’s choice of their settlement relates to the ways in which green
housing parameters can be conformed to the social and engineering considerations of
transforming the locality. That is, while embodied energy, material and design aspects of
sustainable construction must be prospectively scrutinized at various degrees, factors like
inclusivity and managing basic services can be extrapolated from the survey as well. The
results from the Table II show that around 58(that account to around 39 per cent of the total
IJHMA Frequency distribution of marks given RII value
13,3 Parameters considered for survey 1 2 3 4 5

1. Accommodation and spacing

Are more than 3 people living in a single room? 349(YES) 106 (NO) 0.77
Satisfied with spacing conditions 170 107 63 57 58 0.48
Rain water does not enter the house 249 132 47 9 18 0.34
420 Want for higher elevation in platform
so that rain water doesn’t enter 223 103 71 39 19 0.39
Want to stay away from congested locality 87 48 43 147 130 0.68
Want for “not” a flat 71 80 29 93 182 0.70
2. Health and sanitation
Troubled by mosquitoes and houseflies in houses 14 15 33 126 267 0.87
Have respiratory issues caused while cooking 226 159 31 28 11 0.35
Garbage in locality is cleaned properly 123 82 51 104 95 0.58
Waste water are let out in streets 121 33 29 133 139 0.66
Want for a bathroom inside house 212 161 41 18 23 0.37
Frequent visits to hospitals for treatment 181 274 0.40
3. Electricity and related issues
Frequent power cuts/ problems related to electricity 157 133 73 46 46 0.44
Want for an Air Conditioner in house 179 276 0.39

Table II. 4. Drinking water-related issues

Summary of the Accessibility and cleanliness 34 42 67 114 198 0.78
responses from the Affordability 38 59 48 47 263 0.79
survey and the 5. Adequate lighting and ventilation
resulting RII 36 70 114 167 68 0.71

score) preferred houses with higher elevations and better roofing conditions and 27 out of
455 reported rainwater entering into their houses. These also depicts the very feeling of
around 70 per cent of the households enquired to not reside in a flat or a gated community
and 277 respondents wanting to stay away from a congested locality.
Further, the survey exercise revealed that one of the most concerning parameter in the
locality is the frequent visits to hospitals for treatment (almost 3 or more visits in a month).
While moderately grave infections and diseases lead around 40 per cent of them to frequent
medical visits, the lack of sanitation in many of these households presents a locality
susceptible to possible epidemics in future. With health being an amalgamation of several
sub-factors concerning hygiene, it was observed from the survey (Table II) that:

58 per cent of the interviewees in the survey felt that garbage was not cleaned
properly on a regular basis;

the RII value obtained for a locality with waste water let out in the street appears to
be a whopping 0.66;

39 out of the 455 still admit respiratory problems arise when cooking, which may be
the result of poor fuel conditions or lack of spacing or improper smoke-discharge
facilities in the kitchen; and

however, there have not been problems due to poor drinking water in the locality.

The results from the DEMATEL Method contribute to arrive at important considerations
through the relationships between its main parameters and that factors that are considered
in the survey (Table III). As the maximum (D þ R) value in the analysis corresponds to Sustainable
“Ensuring basic services”, it can be regarded as the most prominent or influential parameter strategies in
here. Further, social inclusivity tends to form as the most influencing parameter for social
housing, showing the second most positive (D-R) value. Social inclusivity, which may be
low-cost
understood as combination of factors like choice of apartment, proximity to the places of housing
importance like hospitals, markets, schools, workplace, etc. lay the psychological
motivations of people with regard to housing. Typically, all the other parameters relate to
inclusivity and derive its significance based on the housing conditions. Moreover, the 421
phenomenon of millions vacating their households in the country can be directly related to
the need to prioritize these two factors and arrive at the most suitable method, to incorporate
the necessary green strategies in this or similar households. The overall graph comprising of
(D þ R) and (D-R) as the X-axis and Y-axis respectively gives a clear indication of what
parameter is to be prioritized first. From the graph (Figure 1), ‘Ensuring of Basic Services’ is
more influential than “Social Inclusivity” parameter based on their co-ordinates, hence

Parameter D R DþR Rank D–R Rank

Table III.
Green Design 3.4495 3.6386 7.0881 3 0.1891 6
Ensuring Basic Services 4.2662 3.8176 8.0838 1 0.4486 1
Results from the
Selection of Materials 3.0004 3.0481 6.0485 5 0.0477 4 DEMATEL analysis
Lesser Embodied Energy 2.6403 2.7093 5.3496 6 0.0690 5 for the green housing
Inclusivity 3.5343 3.2927 6.8270 4 0.2503 2 parameters based on
Durability and Resistance 3.4917 3.7961 7.2878 2 0.03044 3 RII value

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2
D–R

0.1

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
–0.1

–0.2

–0.3 Figure 1.
D+R Graph drawn from
Table II
Note: Showing the influenced and the influencing parameters
IJHMA making it a thing to be attended to primarily, with due focuses to be given to similar
13,3 parameters which have high values in the graph as well.
Following “Ensuring basic services” parameter in the (D þ R) (Table III), durability and
resilience comes as the next prominent choice. The nature of these housing parameter relate
to easily and economic maintenance in all weather conditions. Though the TNHB tenements
in Rani Anna Nagar, Chennai were constructed in the 1980’s, an entire block had to be
422 reconstructed in the year 2009 as it had become prone to failure. This parameter is of
paramount importance as far as structural stability in construction is concerned. It also
influences the selection of materials and its ensuing green design, which can be understood
through their (D-R) values. Selection of asbestos as roofing material can be considered a
good option for the short term, owing to its low cost of procurement and construction.
However, the shortcoming of seepage of rainwater over time can result as an undesirable
choice for the residents. Also, asbestos roofs are prone to fall during extreme conditions.
With due consideration needed to be given for economy and local availability, greener and
more efficient materials such as shingles made from recycled rubber or wood fiber are
alternatives to be used for improved performance and hence better durability (Washburn
and Larson, 2002). Fly-ash bricks, or other recycled alternatives in the mainstream
construction present better chances in preventing absorption of rainwater and weakening of
structures during the course of time. Interestingly, it was found that the fly-ash (the green
alternative) appears to be cheaper than the conventional bricks used nowadays in the
market here. Likewise, paints which are coated on the walls of a building not only provide a
beautiful and aesthetic appeal, but also is a very important protective layer for the surface of
building walls. This acts as an interface impervious to rains, even ultraviolet rays and
pollutants like smoke and dust. Greener materials chosen for paint provide a less toxic
alternative to the conventional plastic organic compound. The other prospective solutions
that can be worked around the constraints of this locality also owe to design-related
strategies of optimizing embodied energy, minimizing cement content or other energy-
intensive practices during construction by conducting proper life-cycle assessments. In a
stake-holder assessment report conducted by Social Housing Initiative (SUSHI), optimizing
natural light, ventilation, heating and cooling to a significant extent can replace the need for
electrically generated ones and procure financial gains for residence (Copiello, 2015) .
Thus, the study conducted in this paper can be deemed as an opportunity to infuse the
idea of developing low-cost housing settlements with a mindset for the sustainable future. In
India, the construction of around 1.95 crore houses in the next two years was proposed under
the “Housing for all by 2022” scheme in the Union Budget 2019-20 (Hiranandani, 2019). The
resource management in implementing schemes like these are therefore as mandatory as
providing the basic objective of housing to all. Assessments like the one conducted in the
study help planners realize a better approach to tackle the social challenges pertaining to the
locality as well the dire concerns in energy efficiency and material management. Further in a
city like Chennai where there is a significant cultural value attached for the procurement of a
house, social acceptance and technical know-how of progressive green materials and
practices are challenges to be looked into. For instance, when a breakthrough for rapid and
mass AH projects was identified in the form of Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG)
Panels, it is yet to be incorporated widely in the mainstream construction market even after
20 years. Despite promising a quick, cost and energy efficient, moderately high-earthquake
resistant model, the problem associated with GFRG is the lack of technical know-how and
the fact that laborers still have not acquired the skill in construction of GFRG houses. Also,
the residents’ apprehension of living under an “experimental” choice of building material is
also another reason for GFRG not being applied on a large scale, despite being approved as a
green material by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Sustainable
under Clean Development Mechanism (Paul et al., 2017). A participative approach to include strategies in
the stakeholders of a construction program however can slowly pave way for a social
change in implementing new-age technologies that promise better gains.
low-cost
Conducting such a detailed study for all AH project may not be a possible option in a housing
populous country like India, but the voice of a significant amount of locals from several
households can help a designer generalize to an extent by drawing similarities and identify
weak links in construction planning and practices for forthcoming ventures. In the very 423
province of Chennai, the rampant and unregulated constructions built on wetlands in
suburbs of Chennai at the cost of local ecology and sustainable town planning have been one
of the reasons for the floods of 2015 that cost around 420 lives (Anuradha, 2016). Such
studies in planning help in providing proper attention to malpractices associated with
unsustainable housing practices, which may be the result of large construction demand.
Further, this kind of a unified approach also paves way to policy-related changes, enduring
deliberate strides in sustainability. For example, the implementation of governmental norms
to practice rainwater harvesting in Tamil Nadu, India helped significantly resolve a portion
of water demand crisis in Chennai since the early 2000’s (Satpathy et al., 2016).

6. Conclusion
Utility in Housing is an indispensable parameter for determining the quality of life of the
people, but still remains a major pre-requisite to be fulfilled to the labor force. In the process
of creating AH settlements and tackling urban challenges, there is a growing need of the
hour to attend to a sustainable method of construction as well. The participative approach of
realizing the interests of the locals as discussed in this paper can serve as a guideline for a
designer or a decision-maker who is involved in this process for the government. Further, by
scrutinizing these aspirations with housing parameters through DEMATEL analysis, this
social housing problem has been simplified to a considerable extent, raking the relative
importance of these needs and wants and deciding on sustainable architectural and
engineering solutions.

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Corresponding author
Sivapriya S.V. can be contacted at: sivapriyavijay@gmail.com

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