Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs): Centre To Sign Agreements With States

The center will sign agreements with the states to build affordable housing complexes for poor or migrant workers declared under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) within a month.

The central government is in the advanced stage of discussions with state governments for the implementation of the Affordable Rental Housing Complex (ARHCs) scheme for urban migrants working in industries, service sectors, and manufacturing units close to their workplace.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra told reporters that a memorandum of understanding will be signed with the states within a month to facilitate the implementation of the scheme. In Delhi, around 32,000 flats are available under the scheme, while Faridabad has about 1,000 housing units.

He further said that in addition to government-funded flats, vacant plots could also be developed for the construction of flats under the scheme, but states would have to select “usage permission” in their respective master plans to give the same permission.

Guidelines were issued last month by the Center to implement ARHCs in the country and have targeted construction or retrofitting of housing units by 2022 under the Affordable Rental Housing scheme (ARHS). By 2022, the potential target of housing facilities for the poor under this scheme can be met with this scheme.

The Secretary said that the Expression of Interest (EOI) has been sent to the States and Union Territories, adding that the rent will be decided by the local bodies.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also announced the launch of a scheme to provide homes to migrant workers or the urban poor last month.