Delhi Government conducts high-level multi-stakeholder visioning roundtable on affordable housing chaired by UD Minister @SatyendarJain; white paper to catalogue solutions for rental housing, rapid construction, cheaper and sustainable built environments and unlocking vacant stock

 

• Delhi Govt, with the support of WRI India and DUSIB, organized a roundtable to discuss a way forward on affordable housing in Delhi.

• The roundtable was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development Sh Satyendar Jain and hosted 20+ domain experts from various parts of the country.
• Cost-effective rental housing, housing solutions for the elderly, and unlocking of vacant housing stock in the city were identified as key action areas.

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) held a roundtable on 20^th December, 2019 to envision a way forward for affordable housing in Delhi in an urban development focused engagement with WRI India and DUSIB.

The Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development, Shri Satyendar Jain presided over the discussion which was attended by Mr. Romi Khosla, renowned architect and urban planner, Dr. Amitabh Kundu, Distinguished Fellow at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, Mr. Nimish Gupta and Mr. Rajiv Nehru from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Mr. SJ Vijay from hoMMission India Pvt Ltd, Ms. Meera Siva, Co-ordinator, ShelterTech Accelerator, India from Chennai and Manikandan KP from Indian Housing Federation amongst a total of more than 20 domain experts from various public, private, academic, and civil society organizations.

It sought to identify critical areas of concern as well as actionable strategies to address the challenges facing the provision of affordable housing in Delhi, both of which will eventually inform a future white paper on affordable housing, and thereon to guide state responses to the sector.

The Minister shared his critical insights on the current EWS housing setup and the needs of their residents, both financial and social, which will have to be kept in mind while discussing any future solutions. Identifying the adequate provision and sustained uptake of affordable housing as a critical challenge for the city, the roundtable explored several innovative approaches, such as the use of modern technologies to quicken construction timelines and lower costs, improving the design of affordable housing projects by incorporating socio-economic insights and introducing interventions for the rental sector. Case examples from various Indian cities as well as foreign countries were discussed and disseminated as well. Further, the applicability of suggestions provided by the attendees to the unique socio-political context of Delhi was also brainstormed upon.

The discussion concluded with the identification of three important action areas for GNCTD – the provision of solutions for affordable rental housing as well as housing for senior citizens, the need to devise a strategy with which to unlock vacant housing stock in the city, and the introduction of new technology and design paradigms to increase quality at lower costs simultaneously.

The roundtable was conducted with the support of WRI India and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) is Delhi Government’s department entrusted with looking after the slums of Delhi and work towards their rehabilitation. WRI India is a part of a global research organization whose work focuses on furthering sustainable development.