Tamil Nadu second highest in housing shortage in India

Tamil Nadu is among the worst states when it comes to housing, a study by the Union housing ministry has found. About 11% of total housing shortage in India, is in Tamil Nadu, which is only a notch below Maharashtra when it comes to low housing stock.  Most of peoples live in huts and kutcha houses, which need to be converted to pucca ones to meet the housing standards.

A study conducted by a technical group of the Union housing ministry which was released recently showed India's total housing demand was pegged at 2,47,10,000 at the end of the 10 th five year plan (2007-2008). While Maharashtra topped the list with a shortage of 37.2  lakh houses, Tamil Nadu emerged second with 28.2 lakh houses shortage. Tamil Nadu also has the highest number of homeless, about 7.3 per cent of the total homeless population in the country.

Andhra Pradesh has a shortage of 19.5  lakh units, Karnataka 16. 3 lakh units and  Kerala 76,000  units.

Those who live on streets are not completely homeless.The shortage is expected to touch 2,65,30,000 by 2012 and to fulfil this demand the government needs to spend Rs 3,61,320 crore, about 40% of India's estimated total tax receipts for the current financial year, 2011-12.

As per the housing ministry's figures, about  88% of the housing demand is among the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), 11.7% among the low income groups and the balance 0.16% among the middle and high income groups

Same time,  Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board had recently estimated that there are only 8 lakh huts in city slums.

Chennai has 75% of them, according to a study conducted by the NGO, Indian Community Welfare Organisation. The numbers are higher in places like Parrys, Royapuram, Basin Bridge and Wall Tax Road.
The NUHHP (National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy ) 2007 aims at promoting sustainable development of habitat in the country at affordable prices to all sections. But as state government holds land, the Union has not set any time frame for fulfilling this agenda. In Tamil Nadu the state government has set an agenda of providing pucca houses to all in the next five years.

Mr. T Chitty Babu

 Mr. T Chitty Babu, president, CREDAI. (Tamil Nadu ) said "This is hardly anything compared to the total housing demand in cities here. Chennai alone needs nearly 2.7 lakh houses for the Economically Weaker Sections. Government needs to look at  Triple P  method that is Public-Private Partnership for fulfilling this demand. The government should unlock its land parcels for housing development and engage private builders,"
Good Idea. Is the new government consider it.?