DDA nod to cheap rental homes in city

DDA officials said the scheme, which is modelled on the Centre’s ARHC guidelines, will be included in the Master Plan of Delhi-2021, and a proposal will be sent to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for notification.

To provide affordable housing, particularly to migrant workers and the urban poor, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday approved a proposal for the construction of affordable rental housing complexes (ARHCs) in the Capital. DDA officials said the scheme, which is modelled on the Centre’s ARHC guidelines, will be included in the Master Plan of Delhi-2021, and a proposal will be sent to the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for notification.

They can be developed on private or government land, or plots auctioned by DDA. (HT Photo)

“The proposed ARHCs will ensure affordable and easily accessible rental housing in the vicinity to urban poor or migrant workers near their workplaces in Delhi. While the provision for ARHCs has been made in MPD-2041, we have decided to include this in the current master plan as well so that it can be implemented at the earliest,” said a senior DDA official. Under the plan, ARHCs will have a mix of dwelling units -- single and double bedroom -- and four-six bed dormitories, with common facilities. They can be developed on private or government land, or plots auctioned by DDA.

Meanwhile, experts expressed apprehension over the sustainability of the model. “It is a good concept, but it is unlikely that many developers will invest because there is a huge gap between the rental yields versus the investment in developing these complexes. The project has to be financially viable... For this, there is a need to incentivise these projects,” said Mudassir Zaidi, executive director, Knight Frank.