In this chapter, the authors aim to identify key factors that helped or hindered systemic changes through post-disaster housing reconstruction projects, from a rights and resilience perspective over the long term (at least 10 years since the disasters) in India. Following an explanation of India’s disaster management and housing context, we explain two housing reconstruction projects as case studies after each disaster in India—the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake and the 2008 Kosi River floods in Bihar (see Fig. 2.1). Looking back at these two disasters, which occurred 24 and 17 years ago, respectively, we examine the long-term outcomes of two post-disaster housing reconstruction projects across four critical time periods, including: (i) the pre-disaster housing context, (ii) disaster impacts and recovery policies, (iii) post-disaster implementation and (iv) long-term outcomes. For longitudinal comparative case study analysis, site visits and 80 semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2014–2015 (drawing from past research), and 35 semi-structured interviews in 2022–2023 17 in Gujarat and 18 in Bihar). To attest the validity of data, interviews were conducted with diverse recovery stakeholders including government authorities, grassroots civil society organizations (CSO), practitioners (planners, architects, builders), academics and residents who survived the disaster (beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries). Findings reveal some commonalities and changes in recovery strategies over time, as well as the adoption of lessons from disasters in 2001 to 2008 in India. The conclusions draw on the strengths and weaknesses of India’s owner-driven housing reconstruction (ODHR) policies and practices in fostering a more resilient future, offering recommendations for improvements and potential lessons for other countries in relation to negotiations between government and CSOs and integration of technical resilience with socio-ecological resiliency. This chapter reveals India as a nation at a crossroads, where despite a best-practice policy environment, policy translation into practice—the urgency of implementing effective disaster management and resilient housing practices—meets the challenges of continued education, construction skills trainings, enforcement of building standards and empowerment for making risk-informed decisions.