Housing for all by 2022: Is India ready for it?

Abstract

Housing for All has always been a challenge for most governments. The recent policy announcement has to be understood in the wider context of a rapidly modernizing and urbanizing India. The implementation of the policy is contingent upon a comprehensive review of India’s industrial, social and political capabilities. The paper analyzes the evolution of housing and reviews the previous initiatives and current material and institutional infrastructure to identify key recommendations. The paper argues that the government has to reform several legislation and administrative lacunae to achieve sustainable progress towards Housing for All by 2022. The paper outlines a proposal to creatively utilize existing property by-laws to accommodate demand for increased housing.