Latest news with #Quarters
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Homey targets 10,000 beds by 2027 with focus on inclusive co-living
Co-living startup Homey plans to operate over 10,000 beds by 2027 as it aims to add 5000 beds in the current financial year and another 5000 planned in FY27. With a primary focus on hybrid holistic living and value-based education, Homey currently operates over 1000 beds, with 120 more underway in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar . An additional 2000 beds are set to be launched within the next six months. Company's business follow 70–30 model, which ensures inclusivity as 30% of beds are offered free to underprivileged tenants. In Delhi, Homey has entered into a partnership with Iskcon Dwarka for leasing rooms and setting up beds. 'Our aim is to create conscious co-living communities where young minds feel safe, supported, and inspired. As we expand into new cities and cross the 10,000-bed milestone, our focus remains clear: to make high-quality, affordable living easy and meaningful, especially for those who need it the most,' Homey CEO Madhukant Prabhu said. Alongside ISKCON, Homey has partnered with JIMS, Delhi University, APJ School of Management and multiple aviation institutes to provide community-based housing solutions. Through Iskcon Dwarka's network, Homey aims to reach out to migrant populations aged 18 and above, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, to provide accessible accommodation options. In a global context, initiatives like Common in the USA, The Collective in the UK, WeLive in the USA, and Quarters in Germany have paved the way for innovative co-living solutions. These companies offer shared housing options with a focus on community-building, affordability, and convenience for young professionals and students. Homey will debut in Ahmedabad within six months with 500 beds, followed by Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru later this year. Its future plans include entering Kota and other key educational hubs in the next 12–18 months.
Straits Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
To find high-end furniture in New York, look up
The back staircase to the furniture showroom at Nickey-Kehoe in New York on April 29. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES New York's new designer decor showrooms are hidden away from foot traffic, making shopping for furniture feel like visiting a speakeasy. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES To find high-end furniture in New York, look up NEW YORK – Thirty years ago, a New Yorker with a sharp eye and a strong back could still find and rescue an Eames chair from a midtown dumpster. Those with greater means, and less patience, might buy marble pedestal tables and Swedish flat-woven rugs at furniture dealers, like Lin-Weinberg Gallery and Wyeth, that were wedged between ice cream shops and eyewear boutiques in the city's walkable neighbourhoods. Recently, though, rising rents and a desire for intimacy have pushed high-end decor upstairs and out of view. Always a treasure hunt, shopping for designer furniture in New York has become more like grabbing drinks at a speakeasy: If you know, you know. In 2022, Mr Alan Eckstein, 39, moved his furniture showroom, Somerset House, from a storefront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – where he could expect 300 visitors on weekends – to a cheaper warehouse on a desolate block in Long Island City, amid small residential buildings and across fro m a gated carpark. The grandson of a decorator , Mr Eckstein got into the interior design business six years ago, amassing inventory at the Design Within Reach Outlet, at auctions and flea markets, and via Craigslist. He began using the pieces to decorate listings for local real estate brokers . Furniture store Somerset House in Long Island City in April. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES Shoppers at his warehouse find his inventory displayed for sale in artful groupings. The brick walls are freshly painted ecru, and new oversize picture windows splash sunlight onto the furniture, like a 1950s coffee table with fanciful Jacques Blin tiles on top and some inevitable scuffs on its wood legs (US$8,200 or S$10,600) . In July, Somerset House will be moving again, this time to double in size. Mr Eckstein has come to appreciate 'being off the beaten path' and has chosen an even less accessible Long Island City address he calls 'even more speakeasy'. In lower Manhattan, Mr Nick Ozemba, 33, is a co-founder of the concept space Quarters, where you can order designer furniture or a cocktail in a hospitable environment. It is far from 'a white-box space', he says. Indeed, the entrance on Broadway uses a fire stair, leading some who pop up to Quarters on the second floor to fear they have trespassed in a private home. Ms Felicia Hung and Mr Nick Ozemba, are founders of Quarters, a furniture store that sells luxury furnishings and serves cocktails in a polished second-floor space on a 'rugged' block of Broadway below Canal Street in Manhattan. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES In 2023, Mr Ozemba rented 8,000 sq ft on what he termed a 'rugged' block south of Canal Street . Then he gut-renovated the raw loft with his Rhode Island School of Design classmate and business partner Felicia Hung, 34. They opened the fully furnished model rooms and an adjoining vest-pocket bar to the public a year ago. 'We wanted it to feel cosy and moody,' Ms Hung says. Current merchandise ranges from a Roma Heirloom Tomato-scented candle by Flamingo Estate (US$60) to a new In Common With flush-mount chandelier of fused glass and leopard wood (US$42,000). The partners have hosted intimate parties for Loewe, Birkenstock and Tom of Finland to attract a fashionable clientele. But running a store that looks like a rich friend's home has not been without hiccups. Guests once climbed onto a bed display. And a thief stole a decorative tiger figurine. Near Quarters, the presence of the new Lawson-Fenning furniture showroom is announced only by the small print on the building's intercom directory. 'You really have to know where you're going,' Mr Glenn Lawson says. He and Mr Grant Fenning, 57, opened this Manhattan outpost of their original Los Angeles showroom in a 4,500 sq ft Lafayette Street loft in February. The new Lawson-Fenning furniture showroom is located in a loft that was once used as an apartment. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES 'We're not hitting you over the head with design,' says Mr Lawson, 52. The loft was once used as an apartment, and its finishes looked dated. The renovation by New York interior designer Josh Greene, 45, has earth tones and rusty marble kitchen counters, a spa-like bathroom and a powder room. Mr Lawson says the decor signals a shift in style for his company, towards the polish and panache of 1930s New York. 'We're actually looking at Art Deco chairs and lampshades with fringe,' he says. As in California, he will sell contemporary ceramics and vintage-inspired sofas off the floor . The Temple Studio showroom in Manhattan. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES In the Flatiron district, an abandoned tech office was filled with desks before it became Temple Studio, which opened this spring to show fabrics and rugs from independent makers. 'You had to have your magic glasses on' to see the potential, says Ms Kate Temple Reynolds, 44, who opened the studio with Ms Amarlies Gonzalez, 48. She calls the 4,500 sq ft penthouse an art gallery for textiles. 'We wanted to be a charming, hidden spot.' The drab building lift opens to reveal showroom walls hung with Alice Sergeant's riotous hand-printed brocade in pink and ochre. Hooks and shelves brim with saturated colour and adventurous patterns. 'We show people how to layer and combine them without clashing,' she says. West Out East founder West Chin in the duplex furniture showroom in Manhattan. PHOTO: ASHOK SINHA/NYTIMES Around the corner, furniture store West Out East has a duplex loft. Mr West Chin, 56, a residential architect, was born in the Bronx, where his father was an architect of social housing. In 2014, he opened a Long Island location for European furniture and branded it with his distinctive first name plus the local shorthand for the area, where he digs clams on the beach and has a house. The Manhattan location opened in 2021. In the Flatiron location, the layout is curated like an apartment, making it easy to envision the pieces in a home. 'This is a duplex my clients would buy on a higher floor,' he says. Furnishings from Living Divani, Boffi and Porro live in the second-floor loft for a year before moving to sister locations in East Hampton, New York; Miami; and Westport, Connecticut. Everything is functional and liveable, he says, for children who eat ice cream on the couch, and for their parents who drink red wine. He flies his shop's logo over the sidewalk, on an oversized flag, but some customers venture upstairs only after their designers insist. 'The city has no idea we exist,' he says. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Malay Mail
02-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Manufacturers call for national action plan to tackle worker housing woes
KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) has proposed that the government formulate a National Action Plan on Labour Quarters to address the shortage of proper accommodation for workers, especially in key industrial areas and logistics hubs across the country. Its president, Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai, proposed that the action plan be implemented jointly by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the Human Resources Ministry and local authorities. 'The current shortfall in Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) and Temporary Labour Quarters (TLQ) has impacted both worker welfare and employer compliance with Act 446, which governs minimum standards of housing and amenities,' he said in a statement. He added that employers often face delays in obtaining development approvals and navigating bureaucratic processes, making it difficult to provide workers with safe, regulated living conditions. As such, the FMM recommended three core measures under the proposed action plan, namely the fast-tracking of approvals for CLQ and TLQ development, targeted incentives for employers and developers to build or retrofit proper accommodation, and public–private partnership (PPP) models aligned with local development strategies. 'These measures are essential to ensure that worker housing evolves in tandem with Malaysia's industrial growth,' Soh said. On other developments, FMM also praised the government's broader labour reforms, citing the recent drop in unemployment to 3.1 per cent and the increase in female labour force participation to 56.2 per cent as signs of effective policy intervention. Soh said the introduction of the Madani Workers' Card, which offers discounts on essential goods and services, is a significant step forward in integrating social protection into worker benefits. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when delivering his message in conjunction with the 2025 National Labour Day celebration at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil here yesterday, announced that one million union members will receive discounts of up to 30 per cent from over 100 companies offering essential goods and services through the Madani Workers' Card initiative. 'This is in appreciation of workers for their hard work in carrying out their duties and trust,' Anwar said. In a nod to Malaysia's labour movement history, Soh welcomed the revival of the 'Solidariti Perjuangan' song, penned by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, which he said serves as a timely reminder of the central role of workers in nation-building. — Bernama
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
FMM calls for national action plan to address shortage of labour quarters
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) has proposed that the government formulate a National Action Plan on Labour Quarters to address the shortage of proper accommodation for workers, especially in key industrial areas and logistics hubs across the country. Its president, Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai, proposed that the action plan be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Human Resources and local authorities. 'The current shortfall in Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) and Temporary Labour Quarters (TLQ) has impacted both worker welfare and employer compliance with Act 446, which governs minimum standards of housing and amenities,' he said in a statement. He added that employers often face delays in obtaining development approvals and navigating bureaucratic processes, making it difficult to provide workers with safe, regulated living conditions. As such, the FMM recommended three core measures under the proposed action plan, namely the fast-tracking of approvals for CLQ and TLQ development, targeted incentives for employers and developers to build or retrofit proper accommodation, and public-private partnership (PPP) models aligned with local development strategies. 'These measures are essential to ensure that worker housing evolves in tandem with Malaysia's industrial growth,' Soh said. On other developments, FMM also praised the government's broader labour reforms, citing the recent drop in unemployment to 3.1 per cent and the increase in female labour force participation to 56.2 per cent as signs of effective policy intervention. Soh said the introduction of the MADANI Workers' Card, which offers discounts on essential goods and services, is a significant step forward in integrating social protection into worker benefits. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when delivering his message in conjunction with the 2025 National Labour Day celebration at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil here yesterday, announced that one million union members will receive discounts of up to 30 per cent from over 100 companies offering essential goods and services through the MADANI Workers' Card initiative. 'This is in appreciation of workers for their hard work in carrying out their duties and trust,' Anwar said. In a nod to Malaysia's labour movement history, Soh welcomed the revival of the 'Solidariti Perjuangan' song, penned by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, which he said serves as a timely reminder of the central role of workers in nation-building.
New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Improve housing for workers, govt told
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has urged the government to establish a National Action Plan on Labour Quarters to address the critical shortage of proper worker housing nationwide. Its president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the plan should be developed in collaboration with the Local Government and Development Ministry, the Human Resources Ministry, and local authorities. "The key proposals include fast-tracked approvals for the development of Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) and Temporary Labour Quarters (TLQ), targeted incentives for developers and employers to build or retrofit proper worker housing, and public-private partnership models aligned with local and industrial development strategies," he said in a statement today. Soh said the critical shortage of CLQ and TLQ, especially in key industrial zones and logistics hubs, continued to affect worker welfare and placed significant compliance pressure on employers under the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446). FMM's call follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Labour Day address, in which he stressed the need to redefine minimum housing standards for workers, declaring that "one-room-one-toilet housing is no longer suitable." "FMM welcomes the prime minister's keynote address, which captures the spirit of inclusive development and justice for the workforce. "His bold assertion that when there are so many facilities for the rich, it should not be impossible to find land to build decent homes for workers reflects an urgent national priority that deserves broad support," Soh said. He praised the government's efforts to strengthen the labour ecosystem, including the reduction of the national unemployment rate to 3.1 per cent, the increase in female labour force participation to 56.2 per cent, and the launch of initiatives such as the Madani Employee Card and the MyFutureJobs mobile application. He said the MyFutureJobs platform, driven by artificial intelligence to match workers with jobs, would support Malaysia's digital labour market transformation. "FMM expresses its readiness to support the utilisation and continuous improvement of the MyFutureJobs system through industry collaboration, ensuring it remains responsive to real-time market demand, skills matching, and sectoral workforce planning. Soh said this year's Labour Day celebration reaffirmed the nation's respect for its workers and the need for collaborative efforts to build a just and future-ready labour ecosystem.
