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THEME PAPER
It is, of course, not for the leads to the conclusion that and inter-connected supply-
first time that a government incremental housing provides side interventions that can
programme in India has an opportunity to address the catalyse improved housing
assisted self-build. The housing shortages faced by quality, cost effectiveness
history of government millions in rapidly growing and inclusion of self-built
support began with SHASU towns and cities. housing. These can broadly
and was consolidated into be categorised as: technical
the Valmiki Ambekar Awas LOOKING BACK TO GO support for households and
Yojana (VAMBAY), under FORWARD building workers; making
which 4,42,369 houses were There is a strong case for available land and tenure
constructed or improved in continuing government security; offering a range of
notified slum areas between support to incremental financial products; reforming
2001 and 2006 (Government housing to realise its full planning and building
of India, 2008). Economically potential. While lessons regulations; and nurturing
weaker section households from the management and local government as a
with secure tenure, either implementation of BLC will support institution (Figure
legal or with “no objection be valuable for expanding 1). Experience shows that
certificates” from land- the remit in diverse ways approaches that integrate
owning organisations were towards greater scale, equity these interventions have
eligible. In several cities, Pune, and sustainability, a review greater impact, although they
Chennai and Jabalpur to of experience from India and are not easy to orchestrate.
name a few, self-built housing elsewhere at this juncture
in slums was included as may provide useful insights Technical support to
part of the Basic Services to go forward. households and building
for the Urban Poor (BSUP) workers
component of Jawahar Nehru Literature and experience The Technology Sub-Mission
National Urban Renewal from across the world show of PMAY has been promoting
Mission (JNNURM). Legal that there are five critical
land tenure was one of the
criteria for inclusion. Figure 1: Critical Supply-side Interventions for Self-built Housing
While legal land tenure and
income level remain the
key eligibility criteria, the Technical
support
scale of assistance to self-
constructed housing has Reform
vastly expanded under the Land and planning &
BLC vertical in comparison tenure Self- building
with previous schemes. This, security built regulations
along with the prognosis
that self-constructed housing Housing
will continue to dominate
the affordable housing sector Nurthure range of
in the foreseeable future local financial
until other supply-side government products
options become more viable,
October, 2022, Volume 23. No.2 - SHELTER 19
