8 lakh affordable homes in 5 years: DyCM Shinde

Maharashtra plans to build 8 lakh affordable homes in five years, announced Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during a lottery draw in Thane.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) will construct 8 lakh affordable homes in the next five years, announced deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde during the lottery draw of Konkan Board held in Thane on Tuesday. Shinde also holds the portfolios of housing and urban development.

8 lakh affordable homes in 5 years: DyCM Shinde

On Tuesday, a lottery draw of 2,147 homes and 117 plots of the Konkan arm of MHADA was held. The Konkan Board had received 24,911 applications from October 11 to January 6. These real estate pieces are spread across Thane city as well as the districts of Thane, Raigad and Sindhudurg. The units were available in the areas of Kalyan, Titwala, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg’s Oras, Vengurla and Malvan.

During the initial weeks, MHADA had received lukewarm response and had to extend the deadline a couple of times, apart from organising outreach programmes to draw attention of potential homebuyers.

These affordable homes will be made available across the four income categories of Economically Weaker Section, Low Income Group, Middle Income Group and High Income Group.

“The Maharashtra government has been working towards providing as many affordable housing units as possible,” Shinde said. “In Thane, MHADA is constructing Asia’s largest cluster redevelopment project.” The Thane’s project is spread over 1,500 hectares.

The eight lakh affordable homes will be made available through multiple schemes and policies of the union and state governments such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), cluster redevelopment, inclusive housing, etc.

The housing minister also made public plans to hold another round of lottery draw later this year. “The next lottery draw will take place in the next six months. Those who did not get one today should not be disappointed; they can apply in the next one.”