Coming Soon In Bhopal: 5,000 Affordable Homes

Private developers usually cater to the middle or high-end projects leaving low token homes to be taken up by government authorities who then intervene and create affordable housing options for the poor. Acknowledging that lack of affordable housing is a real problem prevailing in the country government has provided many initiatives to the home buyers.

Scope of affordable housing in India

As per ICRA, the credit rating agency in India the scope for affordable housing in India will remain stable even in this post-demonetisation phase, when the economy is facing a general slowdown. High real estate prices and comparatively low household income paves way for affordable housing so much as the number of affordable housing projects might touch Rs 6.25 trillion by 2022. Witnessing this immense potential for affordable housing, government has taken many initiatives to promote affordable housing. This includes credit-linked subsidy for housing loans for the economically weaker section (EWS) and low-income group (LIG). Deduction of additional income tax for interest on home loans up to Rs 35 lakh will further help the home buyers. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), this move was further supported by the recently announced interest subvention of three per cent and four per cent on home loans of up to Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh, respectively.

Bhopal development body to promote affordable housing

In continuation with above-mentioned initiatives to promote affordable housing, Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) planned to come up with around 5,000 affordable houses in 2018. Under the PMAY, these houses will be made available at subsidised rates. The total investment of around Rs 200 crore will be made for building these houses.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently made an announcement that under his governance, Bhopal will see more houses for the poor. By 2018, BDA aims to provide possession to 12,500 plot owners in the prominent Aero city based near the airport. The rest of the 1,800 plots of the project will be constructed in the next phase.

How will this move benefit Bhopal?

• Beneficial for the social structure

This move will be beneficial for Bhopal's social structure. The cities that have affordable housing options promote social diversity as people from varied cultures come and enrich the life in the city. This means one would have more exposure to people from different cultures and habits leading to more learning.

• Strengthen the economy of the city

The move will definitely boost the economy of Bhopal as more and more working class would get attracted to the city. This also means that city's school system will get a boost as more and more students would move along with their parents. Moreover, a city with reasonably priced rentals and houses ensures that the families would stick to the place even in case of crisis such as a temporary job loss.

Also Read: Home Buyers Cheer As BDA Introduces Affordable Luxury Starting At Rs 45L