(a) the total number of Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) registered with the National Housing Bank;
(b) whether the Government/ Micro Housing Finance Corporation has formulated any scheme to extend loans to weaker sections of the society;
(c) if so the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure that HFCs focus mainly on the affordable housing segments in order to achieve the goal of housing for all by 2022?
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
(a): As on date, 72 Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) are registered under Section 29 A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
¬(b) & (c): The Government has set up Rural Housing Fund (RHF) and Urban Housing Fund (UHF).
Rural Housing Fund (RHF): This is a scheme under which refinance is given to Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) for lending towards rural housing undertaken by people falling under the weaker section category. The housing loans eligible under this scheme are Direct Housing Loans up to Rs. 15 lakh disbursed by the PLIs.
Urban Housing Fund (UHF): This is a scheme under which refinance asistance upto Rs. 10 lakh is provided in respect of housing loans extended by Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) in urban areas for the construction/ purchase/ Repairs/ Renovation/ upgradation of dwelling units having carpet area not exceeding 60 m2 or the cost of dwelling does not exceed Rs. 16 lakh.
(d): To encourage the Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) to promote Housing for All by 2022, the Government of India, Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) has launched Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), a Central Sector Scheme, under the second vertical of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Housing for All (Urban) Scheme. The National Housing Bank (NHB) is a Central Nodal Agency, which has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 128 PLIs (including 69 HFCs), for implementing the Scheme.
To expedite the claim submission under CLSS, NHB has also developed an online portal for lodging the CLSS claims by PLIs, which is under trial run. NHB is also in the process of sensitizing the PLIs through regional workshops.
The following three verticals of Pradhan Mantri AwasYojana, Housing for All (Urban) Scheme are being implemented as Central Sponsored Schemes by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in partnership with the State Governments for Economically Weaker Section (EWS):
• Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with participation of private developers using land as a resource
• Affordable Housing in Partnership with Public & Private sectors
• Subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house construction
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