Building Dignified Density for Low-Income Communities: Key Insights from the Housing Chronicles Webinar

As urban populations continue to grow, space is becoming increasingly scarce, making the challenge of providing affordable, dignified housing for low-income communities more pressing than ever. On Thursday, 24th April 2025, the Housing Chronicles webinar series hosted by Centre of Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF), brought together experts to explore how new build models, particularly G+4 Housing Designs, can address this growing issue. In Webinar 2 of 2: Exploring New Builds for Low-Income Earners, a diverse panel of professionals shared their insights, experiences, and strategies for creating affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing. 

Reall was represented by Etta Madete, Portfolio Manager for Africa and Asia and Founding Director of Zima Homes, who participated in the discussion to provide insights into the evolving landscape of affordable housing and its crucial role in tackling urban inequality. As the conversation unfolded, several critical themes emerged that could shape future housing projects in low-income communities. Here are the key takeaways from the session:

1. Equitable Cost Distribution: Making Housing Affordable

One of the most significant challenges in designing affordable housing is ensuring that costs are distributed fairly and transparently. The team behind the G+4 housing model shared how they calculated the cost of each unit. By first determining the overall cost of structural elements such as the foundation, framing, and walls, they were able to fairly allocate these costs across individual units. This method ensures that every unit absorbs a fair share of the total project costs, helping to maintain affordability without compromising quality. 

One of the engineers involved, explained, “We took the gross area of a single unit against the total area and multiplied by the cost, so that the cost is equitably allocated to each and every unit.” 

This approach highlights the importance of cost efficiency in housing design, ensuring that every penny spent contributes to creating a sustainable, liveable environment for low-income communities.

2. Designing for Natural Light and Wellbeing

In the design of low-income housing, creating spaces that promote residents’ physical and mental wellbeing is just as important as affordability. The webinar’s participants discussed their commitment to enhancing natural light in living spaces. The design incorporated floor-to-ceiling heights of 2.85 metres, which is ideal for maximising air circulation and light penetration, and window openings designed to optimise natural light by placing them strategically for maximum effect. 

These design choices help create homes that are not only affordable but also healthy and comfortable, reflecting the broader goal of dignified living.

3. Prioritising Gender-Sensitive and Secure Shared Spaces

A standout theme in the conversation was the need to design shared spaces that prioritise safety and inclusivity, particularly in gender-sensitive environments. The team emphasised how they carefully considered security concerns when placing shared facilities such as bathrooms, ensuring that these spaces were in high-traffic areas to enhance visibility and security. 

One of the project leads, shared, “Where we located the shared facilities was right at the highest traffic locations, meaning people walking up and down the stairs could easily survey the area. This increased safety.” 

To address gender security concerns, the team separated bathrooms by gender and designed them with openings instead of lockable doors, ensuring privacy without compromising safety. These considerations reflect the importance of creating safe, inclusive environments for all members of the community, particularly in shared, high-traffic spaces.

4. Exploring Mixed-Use Models: Integrating Commercial and Residential Spaces

While the final design of the project focused entirely on residential spaces, the webinar revealed that mixed-use designs, such as having shops or small businesses on the ground floor, were considered during the design process. Including commercial spaces can not only enhance the economic sustainability of housing projects but also foster community interaction and engagement. 

This idea brings forward a key point: housing is not just about shelter; it’s about building connected communities that provide social and economic opportunities for their residents. As urban spaces grow, the integration of mixed-use elements could be key to creating vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods.

5. Collaboration and Community Engagement: A Path to Sustainable Housing Solutions

At the heart of the conversation was the importance of collaboration not just among architects and engineers, but between developers, landowners, and the communities they aim to serve. Reall’s Etta Madete highlighted how vital it is for the public and private sectors to collaborate to overcome barriers to affordability and drive real change in the way we approach housing for low-income earners. 

Additionally, community engagement was emphasised as a critical component of successful housing development. By involving local communities in the planning and design process, we can ensure that housing models reflect their needs, preferences, and aspirations. This collaborative approach helps build not only affordable homes but also stronger, more resilient communities. 

As Etta Madete noted, “This sort of engagement is highly encouraged in our profession, so that information is shared all around, and we can build better, know better.”

6. The Road Ahead: What’s Next for Dignified Housing?

As the session drew to a close, the discussion focused on the future of affordable housing. The consensus was clear: dignified density is an essential solution to the growing housing crisis. As cities expand, vertical housing models like G+4 designs offer a way to increase density without sacrificing quality of life. 

There was a strong emphasis on the importance of thinking outside the box challenging conventional approaches and pushing the boundaries of design to meet the needs of low-income communities. As one speaker pointed out, “When you’re talking about affordability and sustainability, the first point is to ask questions: How can we achieve this? How can this become a reality?” 

Another speaker echoed these thoughts, saying, “It’s important that we’re having this lively chat, where people are getting technical, calculating, and that’s where we need to be.” 

Etta Madete concluded the session by reaffirming Reall’s commitment to driving affordable housing solutions that are participatory, sustainable, and community centred. The discussion during the webinar reinforced the idea that every stakeholder in the housing ecosystem from developers to government bodies has a role to play in the development of dignified, affordable housing. 

As we continue to explore new design solutions, it’s essential that we remain focused on balancing cost efficiency, structural integrity, and the real needs of communities. We must also work to create flexible housing models that can be adapted to different contexts and scaled to meet the growing demand for affordable homes worldwide. 

At Reall, we believe that collaboration and innovation are the keys to transforming the housing landscape and ensuring that low-income communities across the globe can access the dignified, affordable homes they deserve. 

Let’s keep the conversation going and work together to build a future where housing is a right, not a privilege. 

Watch the full recording here.

Written by Nidhi Agarwal, Content and Communications Coordinator