(a): whether the housing shortage in urban areas has increased during the last three years;
(b); if so, the details thereof and the corrective action taken in this
regard;
(c); whether the Government has set up a Committee to re-assess the requirement/ shortage of
housing in the country;
(d); if so, the details and the objective thereof; and
(e); the time-frame given to the Committee to formulate its assessment?
THE MINISTER OF HOUSING & URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION (KUMARI SELJA)
(a)&(b)` A Technical Group constituted by the Ministry in 2006 to assess the urban housing
shortage has estimated that at the end of the 10th Five Year Plan (2007-08), the total housing
shortage in the country was 24.71 million. Further, an additional requirement of 1.82 million
dwelling units has been projected for the 11th Plan, bringing the total housing requirement
during the 11th Plan Period to 26.53 Million dwelling units.
`Land` and `Colonisation` being State subjects, it is primarily the responsibility of State
Governments to provide for adequate Shelter. However, the Union Government has formulated the
first urban area focussed National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy, 2007 to set in motion a
process in providing `Affordable Housing for Air particularly the Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG).
This policy intends to promote sustainable development of habitat in the country with a view to
ensuring equitable supply of land, shelter and services at affordable prices to all sections
of society.
Apart from this, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), launched by the
Government in the year 2005 caters to provision of housing and basic services to urban poor
in 65 specified cities under the Sub Mission Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and in
other cities and towns under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP).
A total of 462 projects under Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and 842 projects under
Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) have been approved all over the
country so far envisaging construction/ upgradation of 995183 and 464089 dwelling units
respectively.
A new scheme - Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor (ISHUP) has been launched
for providing interest subsidy on housing urban poor to make the housing affordable and within
the repaying capacity of Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)/ Low Income Group (LIG). The scheme
encourages poor sections to avail of loan facilities through Commercial Banks/Housing Finance
Companies for the purposes of construction/acquisition of houses and avail 5% subsidy in
interest payment for loans upto Rs. 1 lakh.
Further, with a view to encourage allotment of land for EWS, under the newly launched Scheme
of `Affordable Housing in Partnership1, Central Government assistance will be provided on a
progressive scale vis-a-vis built up area earmarked for EWS/LIG as a percentage of total
constructed area. The assistance would be available for the provision of civic services such
as water supply including ground level/overhead service reservoirs, storm water drainage, solid
waste management, sewerage including common sewerage treatment facilities, rain water
harvesting, approach roads, electricity lines etc.
c)to(e) In line with the recommendation made by the High Level Task Force constituted under
chairmanship of Shri Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC Ltd. and having noted the fact that
estimation of EWS,LIG and MIG households was made by a Technical Group set up in 2006 in
the context of formulation of 11th Plan, and the figures based on 2001 census take into
account income criteria prevailing in January, 2007 and shortage estimated at the beginning of
11th Plan; an exercise of estimating the number of households category wise and those that
would constitute the category needing `affordable housing` is being undertaken by the
Ministry. A Committee has been constituted on 19.8.2009 under the Chairmanship of Prof.
Amitabh Kundu, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University to :-
a) estimate the number of households that need affordable housing;
b) quantify the requirement of affordable housing in the
categories of Economically Weaker Sections(EWS),Low
Income Group (LIG), Lower Middle Income Group (LMIG),
Middle Income Group (MIG) based on the parameters
recommended by the Task Force and as modified by the
Ministry;
c) work out parameters for any other category requiring
affordable housing for the next five year plan period.
The Committee is desired to submit its report within a period of three months from the date
of constitution.