HOUSING FOR ALL

With the sudden outburst in population and urbanisation the need and crisis of
accommodating people arose. India is witnessing increase in levels of urban
population. Nearly 30% of the population live in cities and urban areas. As the urban
sector will play a critical role in transformation of country’s economy. When our
figures say that India is going to be urbanized by 50%, but are we really ready for it?

Housing itself is a very broad terminology in today’s era. Rental housing, affordable
housing etc are some of its types. With today’s lifestyle does the housing criteria
remains same? Where Indians used to live in joint families, now they live mostly in
nuclear families and so the demand of number of houses also increases. Also, metro
cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore has more mobile population which stays for a
limited duration for jobs and education and eventually shift to their hometown or a
different city.

Taking affordable housing and rental housing a prime subject of the matter, the
major factors which hinders affordable housing are:

1. Inappropriate Land parcels: The places which are provided for low cost housing
are either too far from the city which lacks social and physical infrastructure. As,
the main part of the city contributes to the housing that can be afforded by only
HIG and MIG.
2. Complex approval system: The process of approval of the project and obstacles
faced by the developer for such projects also withdraw the interest of the
developer. Government lacks of resources and so they have to take help from
private developers or it can also be result of corruption at some level.
3. Cost of development Vs profit earned: When it comes investing capital alot of
developers withdraw interest in low cost housing, because there is a huge gap
between capital invested on the project and the profit earned. This also includes
the quality of construction material used by the developers to lower the cost
which affects the life and quality of structure.

Thus, when we say housing for all it should be not only for families but also for
workers, students and other class of people which helps in the growth of the city and
the nation.