Pooja Gawali moves into award-winning apartment in Sanjaynagar slum redevelopment project
Pooja Gawali has transitioned from a cramped, one-room tin shack to a modern apartment in the Sanjaynagar slum of Maharashtra, India. The 32-year-old moved into a new three-story building that provides her family with much-needed privacy and space. The project, known as the Sanjaynagar Redevelopment Project, is a community-led initiative that won the Silver at this year's World Habitat Awards for its innovative and sustainable housing. Unlike many low-income re-housing programs that displace residents entirely, this project keeps families in their original neighborhood to preserve social capital. The redevelopment is a partnership between the local government, charitable donors, and the residents themselves, who contribute 10% of the construction costs. The project aims to make housing more cost-effective and self-reliant while improving living conditions for the 900 people who previously lived in 206 metal shacks. Residents like Pooja Gawali and Savitha Yadava have reported significant improvements in quality of life, including better lighting and protection from the monsoon rains.