MUMBAI, May 21 -- The cabinet on Tuesday announced the state's new Housing Policy 2025, focusing on affordable and inclusive housing. Titled 'Majhe Ghar - Majhe Adhikar', the policy aims to build 3.5 million homes for economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIGs) by 2030, and 5 million units in the next 10 years. This would involve an investment of Rs.70,000 crore. The policy also introduces special measures for seniors, working women, students, journalists, differently abled individuals and industrial workers. Housing schemes are also proposed for government employees, ex-servicemen, freedom fighters, artists, mill and mathadi workers, as well as airport employees. These schemes will be implemented through public-private partnerships. For the first time, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds can be used by companies for affordable and social housing projects (for working women, senior citizens, student housing), and incentives will be offered. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the state housing minister, said, "There will be no dearth of homes due to this policy. It is an all-inclusive policy and we have thought about dabbawallahs, police housing, mill worker housing, etc. We will roll out affordable houses. We are also promoting the 'walk-to-work' concept based on PM Narendra Modi's suggestions." This concept underlines the development of housing close to employment hubs, especially in industrial areas. Under the new policy, the government will create a State Housing Information Portal (SHIP), a centralised digital platform. The policy also includes the setting up of a government-owned land bank to achieve the state's affordable housing target. The state plans to create affordable housing near major hospitals in cities like Mumbai. These will be offered on rent to relatives of patients, on the lines of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. New constructions will be planned to deal with weather risks including heat, floods and earthquakes, bringing innovative and climate-appropriate construction practices into the mainstream. At present, the state has RERA and Maharashtra was first state to set up MahaRERA. Now a state-level Supreme Grievance Redressal Committee will be set up to monitor quality control, mediate with developers in respect of grievances of beneficiaries, and ensure timely completion of redevelopment projects under DCPR 2034 and the MHADA Act. A self-redevelopment cell will be set up at the state level and a fund of Rs.2,000 crore will be established to facilitate these projects. On redevelopment projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), officers of the state housing department said that to protect the rights of flat owners, and to avoid any obstacles to the rehabilitation process, it will be mandatory for the developer to enter into a tripartite agreement with the housing society and the planning authority/ government and semi-government land owner organisation concerned. The builder would also have to pay advance rent in an ESCROW account for resident's protection. The new policy proposes the use of central government land for slum rehabilitation projects. These can be implemented as joint ventures between the central government and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). This new housing policy encourages the use of IT-based approaches to increase transparency, real-time monitoring and accountability in SRA projects. These digital tools will simplify processes such as beneficiary determination, project status updating, and fund management, ensure efficient implementation and reduce delays or malpractices, pointed officers. In SRA projects, the agreement between slum dwellers and the developer will be prepared on stamp paper and registered at minimum stamp duty. This will protect the legal rights of slum dwellers. Reacting to the new policy, Dominic Romell, president of CREDAI - MCHI, said, "Various officers of the housing department including additional chief secretary Valsa Nair Singh, MHADA chief Sanjeev Jaiswal and SRA CEO Mahendra Kalyankar have worked hard on this policy. Developers must use the opportunity to make the policy a success." Prashant Sharma, president, NAREDCO Maharashtra, remarked, "The new policy is a commendable step in realising the vision of housing for all in Maharashtra. The government has also clearly prioritised inclusive urban development. The focus on slum rehabilitation, redevelopment, and the creation of a MahaAwas Fund will help address the housing shortage. We believe this progressive policy will provide a significant boost to real estate, create large-scale employment."...