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Housing |
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Lately,
houses have become so expensive that even
good salaried people are not able to afford
the same. They have to compromise in buying
smaller area or move to distant places,
or they postpone to buy the house altogether.
Thus they are pushed towards chawls, or
even slums, thus denying them of clean and
Hygienic abode. With recession prices have
come down by about 20% to 30%, but still,
for many, the prices are unaffordable, and
out of reach.
In fact,
houses were never affordable for masses.
Why otherwise people went and stayed in
slums, in the first place? Number of People
staying in slums has alarmingly been increasing
every year. Today about 50% of population,
in urban areas, stays in slums. Mumbai is
severely worse. Problem has really grown
big, that Govt. has to come out with special
programmes for slum clearance schemes. Slum
clearance programmes will only be successful
if no fresh slums are being formed. Otherwise
it will be just rotating in unending game.
Relocate the existing slums, while new slums
get formed.
 Slums
become unhygienic and ultimately eye-sore.
Boot legging, prostitution, gambling, stealing,
rioting, murder are part of slums. Even
though they prove to be effective vote banks
for Politicians, or means to get Oscar on
their plight, People staying in slums do
get exploited by unsocial elements. Slums
dwellers do not get feeling of belonging.
Until they are given house of their own,
or a feeling of belonging, slum dwellers
will not become responsible and law-abiding
citizens.
Our first
effort should therefore be to see that new
slums are not formed; and simultaneously
move to eradicate or improve the existing
ones.
Affordable housing should not be mixed with
EWS and Slum clearance schemes, which get
lots of subsidy from the Govt. Affordable
house (for LIG and lower middle class),
including rental housing, has basically
to be at comparatively cheaper cost, but
still with reasonably good amenities; the
house has to be easy on Maintenance, where
the outgoings, including taxes, are reasonable
and do not over-burden the owner. If we
want to stay in clean, peaceful and comfortable
environment, we must make houses affordable
for masses. Need is there to increase housing
stock in this segment.
For making housing affordable, we must take
positive steps, at all levels. The Developers,
Central Govt., State Govt. and Local authorities
will have to jointly and effectively contribute.
Main ingredients going in cost of house
are: Land, Construction cost and Taxes.
And therefore, affordable house could become
reality in following ways.
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Land for these houses,
should be available to Developer free
of cost, or at cheaper rate.
Alternately,
more FSI be allowed to be constructed
on these projects, to make land component
cheaper. Prof Vikas Mathkari (Pune
Municipal Corporation Corporator)
recently was seen professing for allowing
2.5 FSI. A very good suggestion indeed!
By one single legislation alone, the
land price component will reduce to
40% of the real market value.
Higher density of tenements could
be allowed on the projects, so that
more number of tenements and smaller
tenements (say between 300 500 sft
carpet) could be constructed.
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Construction costs
Construction
costs could be controlled by Developers,
by providing practical Specifications,
doing away with club houses, swimming
pools etc., which only add to unnecessary
costs. Specifications and Amenities
could be basic, and then expandable
by the owner at latter stage. Like,
One single tap could be provided in
Bath initially; Shower could be added
by the owner, at his cost, latter
Use of Precast items could be extensively
adopted, as these could be produced
in bulk, and could be erected fast,
thereby reducing its cost. Precast
items do not need additional finishing
like cement plaster, and painting
etc, resulting in further saving.
Balcony railings, staircases, lintels,
door frames, kitchen platforms (with
sink) could all be precast. RCC jallies
could replace windows in toilets.
Architects will have to be innovative
to produce economical, yet attractive,
layouts. Developers and Contractors
will have to economise on their construction
costs, by controlling wastages, double
handling of materials, and may be
reasonable on their profits
Housing Societies will have to see
that the houses are economically maintained.
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Taxes & Concessions:
Banks
will have to advance money at concessional
rates. State Bank of India has already
reduced interest rates on housing
loans to 8%. House loans, are likely
to go further down. A very welcome
step indeed!
 Local
corporations will have to heavily
subsidise or forgo taxes on these
houses.
State Govt. will have to allow heavy
concessions under VAT, for materials
going to these houses.
Govt should charge only nominal fee/
Stamp Duty and registration charges
on these houses.
Income Tax laws will need revision
to allow higher rate of depreciation,
and reintroduce concessions under
chapter 80 I(B), for these schemes.
And the last, whatever taxes or concessions
are announced, should be on long term
basis, say for coming 10 years, so
that house could be sustainable.
So, it has to be combined all round
focused effort in making this happen.
Central Govt., it seems is genuinely
interested to help in. State Govt.
and local authorities have now to
bring in right policies for this to
happen. Any disinterested, name-sake,
patchy concession here and there is
not going to solve this problem of
housing masses. Any half-hearted effort
will not give results.
We must, all, put in our might to
bring in change, make houses affordable
so that every human, rich or poor,
lives with dignity, in hygienic dwelling
of his own.
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By K P Baney |
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