Housing in rural areas, and particularly the availability of affordable housing is a critical issue. The main objects of the company are to engage in the business of building affordable homes and commercial complexes and to promote or setup infrastructure facilities in the rural area. Affordable housing can be encouraged through

• Effective rural housing policies at all levels.
• Better targeting of, resources to meet rural needs for affordable homes.
• Flexible planning policies which enable villages to grow and adapt to meet their changing economic and social circumstances.
• Empowered local communities who are involved in shaping their own solutions and have a real stake in their future.

Affordable housing is the Indian government's new mantra. President Pratibha Patil mentioned it in her speech on Bharat Nirman, a project that plans to double the construction of low-cost houses to 12 million units. This move, it is hoped, will cascade into more demand for steel, cement and construction material. In the past, even if developers were willing to build housing structures for the poor, they found it difficult to come up with suitable ways to finance them. Now, NGOs like ESAF are here to solve the plight. Yes, given the fresh optimism in the market, it seems like affordable housing is an idea whose time has come.

Concerns

Rural primary schools are closing at the rate of one a month, fuelled by a lack of affordable housing for families. Parents with young children are being priced out of villages and forced to move to towns. If the situation continues traditional village life dies on its feet.