TN government to construct 25 lakh affordable houses to create hut-free village, slum-free cities: OPS

Asserting that Tamil Nadu was a leading state in the implementation of  'Housing for All' programme, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday said the government has proposed to construct 25 lakh affordable houses in the state to create hut free villages and slum free cities.

Of this, almost 14 lakh dwelling units were to be constructed in urban areas. So far, dwelling units have been sanctioned for five lakh families, he said, while inaugurating an International symposium on Reimagining Inclusive Cities here.

He said Tamil Nadu was a leading state in the implementation of the Housing for All programme, in particular, the Beneficiary Led Construction vertical, because of the progress the state has attained, in land titling.

Stating that the demand for housing has been increasing over the years and there was always a gap, between demand and supply, Mr Panneerselvam said  the housing scenario in the State revealed that slums have grown, along with housing for other income groups.

Housing, for the Economically Weaker Sections, and the Lower Income Group households, which were more than 65 per cent of the total households, was provided predominantly by the public housing agencies like the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, and the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.

He said the state government with support from GIZ was currently formulating a State Housing and Habitat Policy to outline how it could support each segment of the housing sector.

''Policy and regulatory measures are adequate to support certain segments of the sector. But for affordable housing in particular, the Government and its agencies also need to take on the role of a direct provider'', the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Mr Panneerselvam said promoting inclusive housing has been the focus of the Government and several measures have been initiated to achieve this objective.

Pointing out that the Government recently reviewed the space standards considering the land cost and affordability, he said a recently announced key policy measure, taken by the Government to reduce the cost of housing, was the increase in free Floor Space Index (FSI).

He said the FSI across the State was being increased from 1.5 to 2. He said the Tamil Nadu Common Building Rules were now being finalised to pave the way, for ease of doing business and make it more comprehensive, with focus on inclusive housing.

''These rules will be a single set of rules, integrating, Development Regulations and Building Rules, without compromising on safety, security, and sustainability'', Mr Panneerselvam said.

He said the Government aims to reduce house prices, enhance the ease of doing business in the construction sector, promote voluntary compliance and balance the concerns of liveability and adequacy of infrastructure.