A Century of Differential Evolution of Housing Co-operatives in Mumbai and Chennai

Abstract

Since their inception at the beginning of the 20th century, the evolutionary paths of housing co-operatives have diverged in Mumbai and Chennai. Housing co-operatives in Mumbai have been principally Tenure co-operatives (i.e. for collective ownership and management). In Chennai they have been mainly Finance co-operatives (i.e. for providing loans to members). This paper makes a comparative institutional analysis of the two cities to examine the divergent evolution. The examination is important for informing the institutional conditions that enable co-operatives to flourish. Four institutional aspects are examined in this context: the local housing market, local housing policies, role of state government and co-operative institutional support structures.

Keywords:

• India
• housing
• co-operatives
• institutional analysis

Notes

¹ Since Independence, provinces have been called states in India. Maharashtra state was carved out of Bombay province in 1960; Tamil Nadu state was formed out of Madras province in 1956. Hence, Bombay and Madras are used to denote the pre-Independence provinces; Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are used to denote the post-Independence states. Their capital cities are referred to by their current names, namely Mumbai and Chennai respectively.

² Data obtained from the Office of the Registrar (Greater Mumbai) personally.

³ The Tamil Nadu Co-operative Housing Societies Act, 1983 recognizes 12 types of housing co-operatives. The author reclassified them into Tenure, Finance and Building based on their primary function. The classification is as follows:

•	Tenure: Co-operative House Services Societies; Co-operative Township; and Co-operative Tenancy Housing Societies.
•	Finance: Co-operative Building Societies (formerly, Ordinary Building Societies); Industrial Workers Housing Societies; Co-operative Housing Societies; Rural Housing Societies; Taluk Co-operative Housing Societies; and Harijan Co-operative Housing Societies.
•	Building: Co-operative House Building Societies; Co-operative House Construction Societies; and Co-operative House Sites Societies.