National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy 2007 Tabled in the Parliament
POLICY SETS GOAL OF “ Affordable Housing for All” WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON URBAN POOR
The National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy 2007 seeks to
promote various types of public-private
partnerships for realizing the goal of “ Affordable Housing For All’
with special emphasis on the urban poor. This was stated by
Kumari Selja the Minister of State for Housing & Urban
Poverty Alleviation, while briefing the media persons, after tabling the Policy in both houses of the Parliament here today. The Minister said that the new Policy
has been formulated keeping in view the changing
socio-economic parameters of the urban area
and growing requirement of shelter and related infrastructure
.
Giving further details, the Minister
further said that this Policy intends
to promote sustainable development of habitat in the country with a
view to ensuring equitable supply of land,
shelter and services at affordable prices to
all sections of society. Given the magnitude
of the housing shortage and budgetary constraints of both
the Central and State Governments, the National Urban Housing and Habitat
Policy, 2007 focuses the spotlight on multiple stake-holders
namely, the Private Sector, the Cooperative Sector, the Industrial
Sector for labour housing and the Services/
Institutional Sector for employee housing. In this manner,
the Policy will seek to promote
various types of public-private partnerships
for realizing the goal of "Affordable Housing for All".
Elaborating the procedure
followed for formulating the new Policy, the Minister stated that the formulation of the National Housing Policy
is an ongoing process which started in 1986. Last time policy was revised in 1998. Since then there have been major changes in
Habitat and Human Settlement issues. Particularly,
the urban housing sector has been facing emerging challenges with regard to
availability of affordable shelter, growth of slums, and gaps in provision
of basic services to the urban poor. The urban housing shortage has been estimated
at about 24.7 million units at the end of the 10th Five Year Plan (2006-07).
99% of the shortage pertains to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
and Low Income Groups (LIG) categories. The
Minister said that all these aspects
were considered in a Conference of Housing Ministers' of State and Union Territories in November, 2004 and it was decided
to update the National Housing and Habitat Policy with emphasis on urban housing
and improved habitat. A Task Force
was constituted in January, 2005 and a National Urban Housing and Habitat
Policy was drafted. This was circulated amongst various stake holders.
Based on wide ranging inputs received, the National Urban Housing and
Habitat Policy, 2007 has been finalised and laid in the Parliament today.
The salient features of the National
Urban Housing & Habitat Policy, 2007 are:
- 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 has been integrated into the objectives of the Jawaharlal Nehru
Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
- Special emphasis has been laid on Scheduled Castes / Tribes
/ Backward Classes / Minorities, empowerment of Women within the ambit of
the urban poor.
- The Policy focuses on a symbiotic development of rural
and urban areas in line with the objectives of the 74th Constitution Amendment
Act.
- Within the overarching goal of "Affordable Housing for All," emphasis has been 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 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.
- States to be advised to develop 10 years perspective plan
for housing of EWS/LIG.
- Policy gives primacy to provision of shelter to urban
poor at their present location or near their work place.
- Approach will be in-situ slum rehabilitation. Relocation
will be considered only in specific cases.
- Micro finance institutions to be promoted at state level
to expedite flow of finances to urban poor.
- Model municipal laws to be prepared by the Central Government.
- Detailed city maps to be prepared based on GIS, aerial
survey and ground verification.
- Use of proven cost effective technology and building materials
to be encouraged.
- Development of mass rapid transit system at sub-regional
level envisaged.
- Green cover for cities to be encouraged for balanced ecological
development.
- All States to be encouraged to develop a "Habitat
Infrastructure Action Plan" for all cities with a population of over
one lakh.
The Action Plan stated in the Policy
is as follows:
·
Encouragement and support to be provided to State
Governments by the Central Government for preparation of State Urban Housing
and Habitat Policy and Action Plan.
·
State/UT Action plans to focus on accelerated flow of funds.
·
State / UT level policy to provide road map for
institutional, legal and financial incentives.
·
State / UT plans to indicate concrete steps for encouraging
a participatory approach.
·
Periodic review of implementation of Policy and Action Plan
at State level to be carried out.
·
Preparation of 15-20 years perspective plans in the form of
City Development Plans (CDPs) based on spatial
planning at the city level.
·
Setting up of a High Level Monitoring Committee for periodic
review and implementation of the Policy and for making amendments, modifications
wherever considered necessary.
RM/AS-UrbanHousing&HabitatPolicy-2007
(Release ID :33884)