An Inclusive Idea! Hyderabad Based Startup Aims To Provide Co-Living Spaces To LGBTQIA+ Community

It has been three years since the archaic Section 377 was decriminalised. The LGBTQIA+ community in India have faced a lot of adversities in order to live a dignified life. For quite some time now, the country is becoming more inclusive and accepting towards them that is a step in the right direction.

However, there is still a long way to go. While the historic move has decriminalised same-sex relationships, there is still no provision for marriage as the central government is adamant about contesting this because it is 'unnatural.' Not only that, the social stigma around them has not reduced. This is evident in several places where they do not provide safe space for the people in the community.

To solve this problem, a Hyderabad-based startup called 'D'Kommunitee' came up with what they called 'Habitat Inc'. Calling themselves as 'India's First Inclusive Living', they aim to provide inclusive and safe housing solutions for the LGBTQIA+ community in the city. The company is run by a team that consists of two architects, Ankith Narayanan and Murari Kumar Raja, along with a tech professional named Pratap James. James himself belongs to this very community

What Is Habitat Inc?

The idea came to Narayanan's mind about two years ago. Entering into the co-living sector in real estate, he wanted to narrow down the niche area he wanted to work in. "I have a few friends from the LGBTQIA+ community and I could see that they were facing a lot of issues. Most of the housing accommodations across the country are not inclusive in the true sense. We really wanted to challenge that," he told The Logical Indian.

The company looks for queer-friendly property around the city to build the co-living space in. Along with solving all the housing problems, they will also help them look for domestic help and other amenities so that they could live a hassle-free life and devoid of any judgment. They will also provide legal protection and safety as well to the members of the community.

Apart from providing living spaces, Habitat Inc also wants to provide employment to the members of the community. Ankith Narayanan shared with The Logical Indian, "We aim to give employment to more people from the LGBTQIA+ community. We also wish to bridge the gap between the communities as we are open to having allies also to come live in our spaces and not completely restrict it to the community."

Efforts Towards Making An Inclusive World

The company kicked off in February 2021. In Hyderabad itself, they have found a few properties that they are currently developing and hope to launch within the next few months. The team hopes to garner more support with which they could expand outside this city as well. "We aspire to move towards a truly inclusive world, starting with one inclusive living space at a time," Narayanan concluded. He hopess of making the world a better place for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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