Affordable Housing in Chennai: Analyzing Government Initiatives

Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, is witnessing an increasing demand for affordable housing. The city houses a population of over 7 million, and the housing demand is expected to reach 10 million units by 2030. To address this issue, the Tamil Nadu state government has launched several initiatives to provide affordable housing to everyone.

In 2018, the government launched the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Project (TNHUD), with an aim to facilitate the construction of 10 lakh affordable housing units across the state. The project is being implemented with a loan assistance of $200 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and is being executed by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB).

Under this project, the government has identified 14 cities, including Chennai, where it plans to construct affordable housing units. The project aims to provide houses ranging from 300 to 600 square feet, with a price range of Rs. 5-20 lakhs. The government is also planning to provide basic amenities like electricity, water supply, and sanitation facilities in these houses.

Apart from TNHUD, the government has also introduced a few more initiatives to support the affordable housing sector. In 2018, the state government announced a subsidy of Rs. 2.50 lakhs for beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for constructing houses in urban areas. The project also offers an income tax deduction of up to Rs.1.5 lakh for beneficiaries who avail of a loan of up to Rs. 35 lakhs for purchasing a house.

The government has also launched the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) in 1961 which aims to provide low-cost housing to the urban poor. TNHB has taken up various housing schemes across the state, including the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). In the last couple of decades, TNHB has constructed over 30,000 housing units in CMA alone.

The government has also made an effort to encourage public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the affordable housing sector. A few years back, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) came up with a new policy that mandates all private builders with a plot area of over 4,000 square meters to provide 10% of the constructed houses for economically weaker sections (EWS). The builders can either provide the houses in their project or deposit the EWS quota of the built-up area rent or price to the government.

Though the government has launched several initiatives to address the affordable housing issue, there are still challenges that need to be overcome. One of the major obstacles is the shortage of available land for constructing affordable housing units. The government needs to take measures to free up available land and ensure the proper utilization of public land for affordable housing.

Chennai is a rapidly growing city with an increasing demand for housing. The government has taken several initiatives to address the affordable housing issue. However, to achieve the goal of providing housing to everyone, the government needs to address the challenges that lie ahead and take steps to ensure that the available land is utilized effectively.