India hosts national conference on affordable housing reforms

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) held a national conference in New Delhi titled ‘Reimagining Affordable Housing: From Scheme to Sustainable Ecosystem’. The event gathered policymakers, experts, and financial institutions to discuss reforms for strengthening the affordable housing sector.

Rajiv Gauba, a member of NITI Aayog, emphasized that land supply and urban planning reforms are essential to scaling affordable housing in cities. He proposed several measures to improve project viability, such as waiving land-use change fees for dedicated affordable housing projects and exempting these units from stamp duty.

Additionally, the conference highlighted the necessity of expanding rental housing options. Gauba noted the importance of developing rental frameworks to support migrant workers, students, young professionals, and industrial workers.