Urban housing shortage in India plunge by 25 per cent

In India, urban housing shortage has plunged from 24.7 million at the beginning of the 11th Five Year Plan in 2007 to 18.78 million for the next five year plan from 2012 to 2017, informed Minister of housing and urban poverty alleviation Kumari Selja. The housing shortage has been estimated by putting together (a) the number of households residing in unacceptable dwelling units – computed by considering the obsolescence factor, (b) those residing in unacceptable physical and social conditions -worked out using overcrowding/congestion factor, and (c) the houseless households.
The report recognises that eliminating housing shortage during the period of the 12th Five Year Plan, over and above maintaining the current rate of construction, will be a challenging task, even with full involvement and cooperation of private sector and builder’s lobby. The report also suggests bring in the vacant houses into the housing market through taxation and incentive policies;

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