Affordable Urban Housing: A Situation Report on Policy and Practice in India

Abstract

Affordable Housing is fast taking centre stage in the national agenda. In India, affordable housing is a term largely used in the urban context. This is more a matter of administrative logistics: at the national level, the rural housing sector falls within the purview of the Ministry of Rural Development, while the “Housing and Human Settlements” in urban areas is the jurisdiction of The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. It is the latter ministry that has spearheaded affordable housing as a concept and policy. Developing affordable housing on a large scale is the greatest challenge in urban India today, promising a solution to the proliferation of slums, unorganized real estate development, unplanned growth and transit congestion. It is vital that certain critical issues are addressed urgently to make affordable housing a possibility. Affordable housing is a larger concept than low cost housing, it includes within its ambit low and middle income group housing with a larger basic amenities like schools and hospitals. From the above, it is clear that a one size fits all approach cannot and will not work in the affordable housing sector.