Overview
The Urban Collective Action Network (U-CAN) conducted a webinar on Affordable Urban Housing on 23 August, 2024 with Pritika Hingorani, CEO (India), Artha Global, and Pratima Joshi, Founder and Executive Director, Shelter Associates. The session attempted to examine the barriers to affordable housing, the root causes that sustain this crisis, and the transformative potential of innovative approaches like affordable rental housing and community-driven design.
The objectives were to:
- Identify Barriers and Solutions for Affordable Housing: Explore systemic challenges and innovative approaches to making housing more accessible and affordable in urban areas.
- Promote a Systems Approach and Policy Support: Advocate for integrated urban planning and government intervention to protect and promote low-income housing through effective policies and incentives.
- Focus on Inclusivity and Vulnerable Populations: Ensure that housing solutions are inclusive, addressing the specific needs of marginalised groups, particularly women and children.
- Foster Collaboration and Data-Driven Planning: Encourage stakeholder collaboration and the use of data and technology to improve the planning, implementation, and sustainability of urban housing projects.
Key Outcomes
- Housing, apart from providing secure physical living spaces, is an enabler for people to participate in the urban economy. As more people migrate to cities in search of better livelihood opportunities, economic growth is amplified. Cities become the engines of growth. Quality affordable housing coupled with safe public transport is crucial for productivity and economic growth to sustain. The private sector alone cannot address the affordable housing needs of lower-income households. Government intervention in the form of incentives is needed to make housing affordable and to protect their interests.Â
- Some states have struggled with implementing PMAY, particularly in the Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) vertical. Issues with tenure and land ownership in informal settlements hinder the effectiveness of BLC in urban areas, leaving many ineligible for housing benefits. The provision of land titles (pattas) needs to be carefully managed to avoid complications such as unclear and inconclusive ownership.
- Rental housing is essential from the perspective of labour mobility. People migrating to cities for economic pursuits may not have the immediate means to buy a home. But, the fact that millions of urban homes remain vacant even as a housing shortage persists, points to distortions in the rental housing market, some of which are policy-induced. The taxation of low-income dormitory housing at rates applicable to hotels is a case in point. Policies to incentivize renting and reduce vacancies are imperative.
- Equipping ULB officials with granular city-level data is crucial for enabling better urban housing design, planning, and implementation. The availability of accurate data also enables transparency and accountability. Data collection on various parameters, such as the location of slums, land ownership, density, and house prices, must be prioritised.Â
- Women’s needs and lifestyles should be considered during the planning and development of urban spaces, including affordable housing. Gaps in the availability of gender-disaggregated data must be addressed to enable better housing design and to ensure aspects such as sanitation and provision of basic amenities are paid attention to.
