2/26/2021 Building Healthy and Sustainable Communities in Pakistan

u
s
i Login
n
g
+
h
t

Building Healthy and Sustainable

t
p
%

Communities in Pakistan
3
A
%
2
F
Ansaar Management Company joins the Business Call to Action with a commitment to
%
2
high-quality, affordable housing
F
b
i
t
.
l
y
%
2
F
1
s
I
w
W
i
O
+
%
2
3
P
a
k
i
(https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/images/PIC_1.JPG) (https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/images/IMG_0027.JPG)
s
t
a
n
&
u
 TWEET ME:
r
l
=
Ansaar Management Co joins @BCtAInitiative w commitment to high-quality,
#affordablehousing http://bit.ly/1sIwWiO #Pakistan

/
)

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - 12:30pm

NEWSROOM: Business Call to Action (BCtA) (/Pro les/Business-Call-Action-BCtA)

CONTENT: Press Release

Lahore Pakistan/New York, May 31, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Ansaar Management Company (AMC), a Pakistan-based
social enterprise, is tackling the lack of affordable housing in Pakistan. The company has joined the Business Call
to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to build 5,000 new affordable housing units by 2020, providing high-quality
homes to 35,000 low-income people. Focused on community self-reliance and sustainability, AMC aims to scale
up its inclusive housing investments to achieve annual pro ts of US$8 million within ten years while building
vibrant communities for nearly 200,000 people.

BCtA is a global initiative that encourages companies to ght poverty through inclusive business models. It is
supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other international organizations.

With its mission to provide safe, affordable homes to families who otherwise could not bene t from home
ownership, AMC is poised to be the leader in this emerging market. The company’s inclusive business model
goes beyond low-cost housing construction to the development of ecologically sound, healthy and productive
communities. Each unit AMC builds has access to clean drinking water, electricity and underground sewage.
After the construction of new housing blocks, AMC stays involved in the community for ve years to nurture new
residents’ engagement and build their capacity.

The model works because AMC builds and sells 70 percent of its new residential units at or near cost, while selling
the remaining prime and commercial plots at the market rate. Within 10 years, AMC expects to achieve annual
pro ts of US$8 million by building healthy and sustainable communities for nearly 200,000 people.

“A critical factor in alleviating poverty in Pakistan is to provide poor people with an asset. If this asset comes in the
form of a house, the value is both nancial and social,” said Jawad Aslam, the Chief Executive Of cer of AMC. “We
believe that sustainability means more than just quality infrastructure – it is also the capacity and develop
systems for self-reliance. We are pleased that our efforts in this regard have been recognized by the Business Call
to Action.”

Pakistan suffers from a severe shortage in housing, especially among low- and middle-income people. For
decades, the Pakistani real estate sector has seen the rich amassing property while the majority of Pakistan’s
people are unable to purchase a home. As a result of the country’s population boom and a lack of access to
nancing, the country lacks approximately 10 million affordable housing units. With a high level of rural-to-urban
migration and a lack of affordable solutions for the new migrants, unplanned housing on uninhabited land – in
insecure and unhealthy conditions – has become the norm.

Following extensive research, AMC developed an inclusive business model that aims to break this pattern,
allowing low-income communities to acquire homes both for shelter and assets for their families’ future. The
company is able to provide quality, affordable housing by forging relationships with lending institutions and
designing all homes in cooperation with community members to ensure their needs are met. AMC also ensures

https://www.3blmedia.com/News/Building-Healthy-and-Sustainable-Communities-Pakistan 1/2
2/26/2021 Building Healthy and Sustainable Communities in Pakistan
that all civil works contractors hire contractors like masons, electricians, plumbers and labourers from within the
local community whenever possible.
Login
Each new neighborhood block comprises of roughly 25 homes situated around a park that is maintained by the
homeowners. This design promotes a sense of community participation, reduces traf c and maximizes security;
local water treatment plants allow recycled water to be used for the block’s needs. AMC’s continued involvement
in new neighborhoods ensures that residents will be able access additional funds and make infrastructure
improvements.

The company also understands that in Pakistani society, social status is as important as nancial stability. For
example, when contemplating potential marriage prospects, an independently owned home with secure land
tenue is a signi cant consideration. In addition to the social bene ts, homeowners can leverage their homes as
collateral to obtain loans and improve their livelihoods.

“AMC’s inclusive approach demonstrates the value of building homes that make it affordable for families to raise
their living standards,” said Paula Pelaez, Programme Manager of the BCtA. “These quality homes foster the
development of strong, vibrant communities. We are pleased to welcome AMC to the Business Call to Action and
look forward to its continued impact.”

By ensuring immediate occupancy of its affordable housing units, AMC’s inclusive model creates demand for the
remaining market-rate units. With its inclusive investments, company has already provided new housing to 3,000
individuals and aims to serve 35,000 in the next ve years. This business model is not only proving to be
sustainable, but replicable throughout Pakistan.

For further information:

Business Call to Action:

Tatiana Bessarabova
tatiana.bessarabova@undp.org (mailto:tatiana.bessarabova@undp.org)

Ansaar Management Company:

Emma Ahmed
emma.ahmed@amcpakistan.org (mailto:emma.ahmed@amcpakistan.org)

About Business Call to Action (BCtA): Launched at the United Nations in 2008, the Business Call to Action
(BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging
companies to develop inclusive business models that offer the potential for both commercial success and
development impact. BCtA is a unique multilateral alliance between key donor governments including the
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.government.nl/ministries/bz) , Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (Sida) (http://www.sida.se/English/) , UK Department for International Development
(http://www.d d.gov.uk/) , US Agency for International Development (http://www.usaid.gov/) , and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Government of Finland (http://formin. nland. /public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2) , and the United
Nations Development Programme (http://www.undp.org/) — which hosts the secretariat. For more information, please
visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.

About Ansaar Management Company: Ansaar Management Company (AMC) is a private housing developer
founded in 2008, which aims to become the leader in high-quality, affordable housing in Pakistan. Its mission is
to provide high quality, innovative, and affordable housing solutions for low- and middle-income Pakistanis
through an integrated, holistic approach. It aims to scale up and achieve sustainability through its strong focus
on community building. While initial projects focused on 30,000 homes in and near large cities, within ten years,
AMC expects to achieve annual pro ts of US$ 8 million – and signi cant social impacts – by providing healthy
living for nearly 200,000 people. For more information, please visit http://amcpakistan.org (http://amcpakistan.org) .

CATEGORY: SUSTAINABLE FINANCE & SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT (/NEWS/20008)

(https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?
Share (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?
u=http://www.3blmedia.com/News/Building-
url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.3blmedia.com%2FNews%2FBuilding-Healthy-and-
 on
kHealthy-and-Sustainable-Communities-
Sustainable-Communities-
Pakistan)TwitterPakistan&text=Building+Healthy+and+Sustainable+Communities+in+Pakistan+)

© 3BL MEDIA, LLC 3BL Media, LLC Find Us on Social Latest from Leading Editorial & Leadership
136 West St Ste 104 Brands
Privacy Policy TriplePundit
Terms of Use
Northampton, MA 01060     3BL Professional 3BL Forum
Site Map Contact Us 3BL CSRwire 100 Best Corporate Citizens
About Us 3BL ReportAlert

https://www.3blmedia.com/News/Building-Healthy-and-Sustainable-Communities-Pakistan 2/2