Affordable housing may soon be reality

BMC proposal makes it binding on private concerns to build flats for low income groups.

With elections in sight, the state government has taken a major step towards realising the affordable housing dream for the economically weaker sections and the middle income group (MIG).

The state urban development department has directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) development plan office to amend development control regulations, making it compulsory for all mega constructions in the city to construct houses for the poor and the economically weaker group.

Accordingly, the civic office has formulated a proposal, whereby it will be binding on all private construction measuring 20,000 sq ft or more to construct houses for the economically weaker sections and low income groups (LIG) on 10 per cent of the total built-up area. It will also be binding on them to reserve another 10 per cent of the area for the middle income group.

A senior official from the development plan office said that the LIG homes will be 300 to 500 sq ft in area, the MIGs will be 500 to 1,000 sq ft in area.

Interestingly, the government has chosen to relax the parameters for constructions that go above 40,000 sq ft. The area of the LIGs could be between 300 to 400 sq ft and that of the MIGs between 410 and 600 sq ft in that case. The proposal is likely to be discussed at the civic improvements committee on Thursday.

Officials said apart from creating houses which could be purchased by lower and middle income groups, the amendment, once approved, will also be used as a tool by the state to create stock for rental housing. Both affordable and rental housing were the highlights of the draft housing policy announced by chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh last year.