After natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies, finding housing for those displaced is often a matter of critical urgency, especially since many items necessary for building housing may be unavailable or in limited supply. For India, in the aftermath of flooding in the Assam state in June 2022, Indian nonprofit SEEDS looked to help survivors by partnering with Sweden’s Better Shelter, who provides modular housing frames delivered as flatpacks capable of being assembled without tools or electricity in only a couple hours which can then be completed with local materials, according to an article on CNN.
Says managing director of Better Shelter Johan Karlsson of the importance of this modular housing to CNN, “Most of us think of camps as temporary spaces, but the truth is, many people end up spending years to decades there”, while also noting these modular buildings provide “not just better safety but protection and dignity, too.”
With the flatpack nature of the housing frames, it’s not surprising to find that IKEA is one of the organization’s major backers. Says Karlsson, “IKEA has long had the ‘know-how’ on how to create modularized constructions, packaging and materials. Reaching out to them for support felt like the obvious thing to do.” While not intended as permanent structures, the houses are designed to last at least 3 years, with many lasting up to 5, and ease of repair being a major consideration for support of residents.
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/style/better-shelter-home-disaster-ikea-dfi/index.html
