Affordable housing for low income families is a major problem in Nepal. The problem of housing is more serious in the urban areas than in the rural areas due to ever increasing number of migrants from rural to urban center for various reasons. Due to ever increasing prices of land and housing in the land and housing market, housing is becoming more and more inaccessible and unaffordable particularly to the poor and low income families in most of the major cities in Nepal. The problem is further aggravated owing to lack of affordable rental housing with all basics facilities like adequate water, accessible hygienic toilets and other infrastructures, especially for low income families migrated to urban centers.

Realizing the urgent need of rental spaces with all basic facilities in affordable rent for those groups, LUMANTI, this year, has explored an innovative option and started the first ever Rental Housing Project in Nepal as a demonstration site, with the objective encourage low-income rental housing for contributing towards rental housing policy formulation in Dhobighat, Lalitpur.

The project has provided clean and safe rental spaces for 24 low-income families that include modern urban amenities. Furthermore, this rental spaces has incorporated green design features like bio-climatic design, local construction material, rainwater harvesting, ground-water recharge and solar-powered LED lights in communal spaces. The four-storey building in Dhobighat, Lalitpur is built on 302 sq mt. of land, each of the 24 units have an area of 15 sq. mt. including a kitchen corner, toilet and balcony.