Myanmar startup looks to bring 'affordable housing' to Bhutan, India

Co-founder Ascoli hopes to spread social impact to neighboring countries

20250530 From left, Housing NOW Co-founder, Raphaƫl Ascoli and Kyaw Zin Latt

Housing Now co-founders Raphael Ascoli, left, and Kyaw Zin Latt speak during an interview on May 29 in Tokyo. (Photo by Satoko Kawasaki) 

RAMON ROYANDOYAN

TOKYO -- A Myanmar-based startup that builds affordable housing made from bamboo for displaced people in the country hopes to bring its business model to South Asian nations such as Bhutan and India, according to its co-founder.

Housing Now won the Nikkei Asia Award for the enterprise's social and economic contributions to Myanmar, a country in the throes of a civil war that has displaced 3.5 million people as of May, according to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Its prefabricated bamboo houses cost roughly $1,000 apiece, while their modular design allows them to be upgraded or expanded easily.

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