State aims for 20k affordable homes in Mhada bldgs

Mumbai: The state government has decided to completely do away with charging premiums for Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (Mhada) redevelopment projects in lieu of extra floor space index. Instead, it will take a share of the surplus flats, which are likely to form the corpus of affordable housing in the city. 

    The size of redeveloped flats would be restricted to 300 sq ft for low-income groups, 600 sq ft for middle-income groups and 800 sq-ft for high-income groups. So far, developers offered flats of even 1,000 sq ft in Mhada buildings, but it will reportedly no longer be allowed. 
    Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said in the legislative assembly on Monday that he had finalized the new policy for Mhada redevelopment and the notification would be issued this week. The new policy will be implanted once the notifications are issued. Chavan was replying to the motion discussing the governor's speech at the beginning of the budget session. 
    The housing authority has 102 layouts and 56 colonies in the city. It has very few vacant plots left for development, but with the change in the Development Control Regulation 33(5), which governs Mhada redevelopment, the state hopes to generate around 20,000 affordable flats in each redeveloped building. 
    Minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir said under the new policy, the government would 
accept only flats in lieu of extra FSI, granted for redevelopment. "Mhada projects get FSI of 2.5-3. The government plans to get about one-third of the additional FSI in the form of flats. This is our only hope to create affordable housing in the city," he said. 
    In 2010, the state stayed the premium policy and has since been working on the new policy.