Women Make Homes, Homes Make Women Stronger
kabeer murugkar • August 5, 2025
What changes when a woman owns a home?
More than you might think.
In India’s affordable housing journey, we often talk about the number of houses built or loans disbursed. The impact of homeownership has been absent in the conversation. We rarely talk about how homeownership feels–especially in the case of women. There’s a gap in the story. So, we decided to dig deeper.
We conducted a study that covered 280 households across 10 cities and included long conversations with 30 families from different backgrounds. What we found was clear: women may not always lead the decision to buy a home, but they deeply shape what that home becomes.
In many families, women act as the emotional anchors. They manage the daily rhythm of life—caring for children, maintaining the home, and holding the family together. In joint or traditional families, their voice in major financial decisions is limited. But where they do have financial independence—either as co-earners or heads of households—they step up as confident decision-makers.
Post homeownership, the impact really shows.
49% of women said they felt more emotionally secure.
44% said their access to essential services—like schools and hospitals—got better.
Many gained stronger social ties and more say in family matters.
Women told us that living in well-connected, safer areas improved not just their own lives, but also their family’s future. They felt more in control—of money, of decisions, of what comes next. In homes led by women, the shift was even more powerful—bringing with it confidence, respect, and a stronger voice in the community.
More than a place to live, homeownership gives women the room to grow. And that changes everything.
To read the full report click here.
