The policy of govt and public sector institutions is to support and develop housing programmes on the basis of availability of resources and on their perception of housing demand and affordability rather than on the basis of the requirements and affordability of prospective beneficiaries.
The National Housing policy of the government of India has highly laid emphasis on the need for public sector agencies to increasingly play the role of a facilitator of the housing process and create the enabling environment in which the requisite inputs would flow into the housing sector more easily than in the past.
2. EVOLUTION OF NATIONAL HOUSING
AND HABITAT POLICY
OVERVIEW:
The policy of govt and public sector institutions is to
support and develop housing programmes on the basis of
availability of resources and on their perception of housing
demand and affordability rather than on the basis of the
requirements and affordability of prospective beneficiaries.
The National Housing policy of the government of India has
highly laid emphasis on the need for public sector agencies
to increasingly play the role of a facilitator of the housing
process and create the enabling environment in which the
requisite inputs would flow into the housing sector more
easily than in the past.
3. The pressure of urban population and lack of
housing and basic services were very much
evident in the early 1950s.
In a country with a vast population, the problem
of providing shelter to all has been an issue of
great concern to the civil society and the
Government.
Concrete governmental initiatives began in the
early 1950s as a part of the First Five Year Plan
(1951-56) with a focus on institution-building
and housing for weaker sections of society.
During the early years of housing development
in India, initiatives were taken mostly by the
Government.
During the Seventh Plan (1985-90) GOI made a
marked departure from the focus given to the
government-led housing development, stressing
on the need to place major responsibility of
housing construction to the private sector.
A three-fold role was assigned to the public
sector, namely, mobilisation for resources for
housing, provision for subsidised housing for
the poor and acquisition and development of
land.
4. The long term goal of the NHP-
1988:
•To eradicate homelessness,
• Improve the housing conditions of
the inadequately housed
• Provide a minimum level of basic
services and amenities to all.
The role of Government was
conceived
•As a provider for the poorest and
vulnerable sections
•As a facilitator for other income
groups and private sector by the
removal of constraints and the
increased supply of land and
services.
6. Focus of the Policy is on affordable urban housing with
special emphasis on the urban poor.
Role of Housing and provision of basic services to the urban
poor integrated into the objectives of the Jawaharlal Nehru
Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
States advised to develop 10 years perspective plan for
housing of EWS/LIG.
Approach to be in-situ slum rehabilitation. Relocation will be
considered only in specific cases.
Within the overarching goal of "Affordable Housing for
All," emphasis is laid on urban planning, increase supply of
land, use of spatial incentives like additional Floor Area Ratio
(FAR), Transferable Development Rights, etc., increased flow
of funds, healthy environment, effective solid waste
management and use of renewal sources of energy.
Encouraging Integrated townships and Special Economic
Zones.
10-15% of land in every new public/private housing projects
or 20-25% FAR whichever is greater to be reserved for
EWS/LIG Housing through appropriate spatial incentives.
Private Sector to be permitted land assembly within the
purview of Master Plans. Action Plans for urban slum
dwellers and special package for cooperative
housing, labour housing and employees housing is to be
prepared.
7. Elements of National Housing Policy :
• Housing norms
• Rural Housing
• Slums & squatter settlements and Housing
for Urban Poor
• Supply and management of land
• Infrastructure
• Conservation of Housing Stock and Rental
housing
• Housing finance
• Building material and technology
• Special programmes for disadvantaged
groups
• Role of Government, private sector and
the community
• Fiscal policy
• Legal and regulatory framework
• Human resource development
• Action Plan
9. CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT:
•Act as a facilitator and enabler with actionable steps taken
by the State Governments, Urban Local Bodies, Parastatal
agencies, Private-cooperative sector and Non Government
Organizations
•Promote regional development in the country by
Decentralizing functions related to the development of the
Housing sector and promoting a ecologically sound
environment
•Promote action plans related to creation of adequate
infrastructure facilities related to water, drainage, sanitation,
sewerage, power supply and transport connectivity.
INTRODUCE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM:
•Develop a nationwide management information system
related to housing and allied activities to ensure well
informed decision making.
PROMOTE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:
•Promote research and development in alternate building
materials and technology as well as energy conservation
practices in the housing sector.
•Take appropriate steps for standardization and quality
marking of building materials.
10. FORM LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK:
•Promote systematic planning at city, metropolitan
area, district and regional level.
•Encourage adoption of critical urban reforms
relating to municipal laws, building bye-laws,
simplification of legal and procedural frameworks,
property title verification systems and allied areas.
DEVISE HOUSING FINANCE:
•Devising macro-economic policies to enable
accelerated resources to housing and infrastructure
development
•Develop suitable fiscal concessions to promote
housing and infrastructure especially for the EWS
and LIG groups.
•Encourage FDI in urban housing and infrastructure
sectors.
•Develop convergence between urban sector
initiatives and financial sector reforms.
SUPPLY AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND:
•Develop a national land policy for optimal
utilization of available resources including
enhanced supply of serviced land for sustainable
development.
12. CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT:
• Prepare a State urban housing and habitat policy (SUHHP)
• Act as a facilitator and enabler in collaboration with Urban Local Bodies, Parastatal agencies,
Private-cooperative sector and Non Government Organizations with regard to integrated slum
development projects
• Ensure suitable flow of financial resources to potential EWS/LIG beneficiaries.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS:
• Promote well designed Public-Private Partnerships for undertaking housing and infrastructure
projects.
• Promote in-situ slum upgradation with partnership between the Central Government, State
Government, Urban Local Bodies, Banks/MFIs and potential beneficiaries.
SKILL UPGRADATION:
Facilitate training and skill upgradation of construction workers.
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM:
Develop appropriate Management Information System for different level of Governance.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (R&D):
Promote R&D activities in the field of building materials and Technologies and promote
their use in housing and infrastructure projects.
13. OPTIMUM UTILIZATION OF LAND:
Promote optimal utilization of land by
innovative special incentives like relaxation of
FAR for ensuring that 20-25% of the FAR are
reserved for EWS/LIG units or issuance of
Transferable Development Rights for clearance
of transport corridors and availability of FAR in
outer zones.
Consider for upward review the presently
authorized Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in line with
international practice of making more efficient
use of scarce urban land through construction of
high rise buildings in consonance with densities
specified in statutory Master Plans.
INTEGRATED TOWNSHIPS, URBAN EXTENSIONS
& SEZS:
Develop Greenfield towns & integrated urban
housing extensions of existing towns with
complementary infrastructure or Special
Economic Zones (SEZs)with both FDI and
national investments in housing and
infrastructure.
Ensure that such fully integrated housing
projects are well connected by MRTS corridors.
14. Objectives of the National Housing policy:
The basic objectives of the housing policy are:
• To assist all people, and in particular the houseless, the
inadequately housed and the vulnerable sections and to
secure for themselves affordable shelter through access
to developed land, building materials, finance and
technology.
• To expand the provision of infrastructure facilities in rural
and urban areas in
• order to improve the environment of human settlements,
increase the access of poorer households to basic
services, and to increase the supply of developed land for
housing;
• To undertake, within the overall context of policies for
poverty alleviation and employment, steps for improving
the housing situation of the poorest sections and
vulnerable groups by direct initiative and financial
support of the State.
• To help mobilize the resources and facilitate the
expansion of investment in housing.
• To promote a more equal distribution o f land and houses
in urban and rural housing.
15. ROLE OF ULB’S DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES
AND HOUSING BOARDS
16. ROLE OF ULBs
ULBs should help to carry out survey of house needy
families as per
time bound Programme
Amenities like electricity, roads, water, drainage,
sewerage, etc., should
net be made available to unauthorized slum dwellers.
And encroachers.
GPS monitoring should be done to check unauthorized
encroachments
URBAN PLANNING
• Ensure that Development Plans/Master Plans as well as
Zonal Plans and Local Area Plans are made and updated
regularly so that adequate provisions made for the
homeless as well as slum dwellers.
• Prepare Master Plan and Metropolitan Plans in
consonance with the concerned District Plan and the
State Regional Plan.
• Identify city specific housing shortages and prepare city
level Urban Housing& Habitat Action Plans for time
bound implementation. Wherever necessary and
feasible, ULBs as well as other parastatal would provide
viability gap funding especially for EWS/LIG housing and
supporting infrastructure so as to ensure better
affordability by the poor and financial viability of slum
17. Special Programme for Disadvantaged Sections
• Devise innovative housing programmes for
meeting the housing shortage
• with special focus on vulnerable groups.
Environment and Ecology
• Devising adequate safeguards for promoting a
healthy environment with
• special emphasis on ‘green lungs’ of the city in
terms of parks, botanical
• gardens and social forestry as well as green
belts around cities/towns.
Security & Safety
• Ensure Safety & Security in residential and
institutional areas which may
• include construction of boundary walls around
housing colonies as well as
• installation of security stems.
THE NUHHP-2007 RECOMMENDS SPECIAL AREAS
OF ACTION WITH RESPECT TO
•Land
•Finance
•Legal and Regulatory Reforms
•Technology support and its transfer
•Infrastructure
•Sustainability Concerns
•Employment issues relating to the Housing Sector
•Slum improvement and upgradation
18. Conclusion:
• The policy seeks to achieve the above
objectives using a variety of strategies.
Making available developed land at
reasonable rates for housing, providing
security of tenure to households both in
rural and urban areas and developing a
viable and accessible institutional system
for the provision of housing finance are
some of these strategies.
• The policy laid special emphasis on rural
housing and recognised the complexities
and intricacies of the situation. Accordingly,
the policy put forth the following as the
action plans.
(1) Provision of house sites to Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, freed bonded labourers and
landless labour, including artisans
(2) Provision of financial assistance for house
construction to them on suitable loan-cum-
subsidy bases.
References:
• Government of India (1988), National
Housing Policy, Ministry of Housing and
Urban Development, New Delhi
• Government of India, First Five Year Plan
(1951-56). Planning commission. New
Delhi, p.596
