Khuda-ki-Basti is a grid-like, planned layout within the 5500-acre Gulshan-e-Shabbaz housing development located in Hyderabad. It is the site of a development scheme devised by the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) to help the poorest families house themselves. In this sector homeless Pakistanis are given the chance to settle on land, and to obtain permanent. Given security of tenure, the families build their houses and provide infrastructure incrementally, as resources become available. The incremental development scheme is entirely self-financing - -there is no subsidy, formal or informal. The entire cost of the developed plots is borne by the beneficiaries, in instalments spread over a period of 8 years. The family designs and constructs its house in any material or style it can afford. The first house is usually made of reeds, wood, or cardboard. Slowly, a more permanent house of brick or cement block is erected, with roofs of asbestos tiles or corrugated tin. Ten percent of the owners eventually add a second floor. Materials are available locally. Each group of four houses is served by a septic tank linked to a pumping station. Over 70 percent of the houses have individual water connections, and the rest collect water from conveniently located taps. Electricity is also supplied to the area. Residents apply for individual house connections to all utility services after they have paid the charges; monthly instalments eventually repay the actual cost. Khuda-ki-Basti is also provided with education and health facilities as well as affordable transport service. The jury commends this successful effort to create affordable housing for the urban poor, seeing it as a model that can be widely applied everywhere.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture