Observing that the demand for housing in the State has been increasing over the years, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (also handling the Housing and Urban Development portfolio) said on Thursday that there was always a gap between demand and supply.
At the inauguration of the two-day international symposium ‘Reimagining Inclusive Cities’ — organised by the Tamil Nadu government and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) — Mr. Panneerselvam said 25 lakh affordable houses were to be constructed in Tamil Nadu, of which 14 lakh dwelling units would be in urban areas.
Though policy and regulatory measures were adequate to support certain segments of the sector, “for affordable housing in particular, the government and its agencies also need to take on the role of a direct provider,” he said.
“Plans prepared for urban areas need to create spaces for affordable housing. Otherwise, high-rise buildings will continue to exist along with the slums, providing a stark contrast,” Mr. Panneerselvam said, and added that the Tamil Nadu Common Building Rules was being finalised.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary S. Krishnan said that the State Housing and Habitat Policy was being framed and that the government was looking at international solutions that could be applied in the State-specific context, since different States had different requirements.
G.I.Z. India Country Director Juile Reviere noted that there was a shortage in the urban housing segment and in case of Mumbai, 60% of its population lived in the slums and the slums constituted only 6% of the city’s land.
Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board Managing Director M.S. Shanmugam addressed the gathering.
Representatives from the Odisha and Kerala governments, academicians from the North American and Australian universities, and organisations from Germany, England, South Africa, Thailand and the Netherlands were also present.
