MHADA plan for affordable housing

In return for the higher FSI,housing societies will have to hand over a certain number of constructed apartments free of cost to MHADA post-redevelopment. These would then be sold by the housing board at affordable rates during its annual lottery. The proposal,however,is still to be sanctioned by the state government.

Left with an ever-shrinking land bank,now about two hectares in Mumbai,the Mumbai Board is toying with the idea of generating affordable homes through private redevelopment proposals. Mumbai Board chairperson Amarjeet Singh Manhas,who made the announcement while presenting the board’s Rs 4,200 crore budget for 2011-12 on Friday,said,“We already offer a higher FSI of 2.5 for redevelopment of MHADA colonies provided they hand over a certain percentage of flats to MHADA. We have proposed that this benefit of additional FSI should be extended to private housing societies.”

At present,the total FSI allowed in the suburbs is 2 (1 FSI and 1 Transfer of Development Rights). If the proposal is approved,developers will get to construct more area using the FSI without having to purchase TDR at the prevailing high rates.

A similar proposal to granter higher FSI in return for flats constructed on open land outside Mumbai,floated by MHADA in April last year,has not rolled out as yet. The state government put the scheme on hold on the grounds that it will require an amendment in the Development Control Rules. Under the scheme,private developers with a minimum land of 5000 sq m could come forward with their proposals. Five projects that would have generated 5000 affordable homes were sanctioned in Thane alone but none of them have taken off as yet for lack of any policy decision by the state government.

MHADA has,meanwhile,made a budgetary provision of Rs 100 crore for redevelopment of its own colonies. “All such colonies that do not get the conveyance deed done in their name by March this year will be redeveloped by MHADA itself. Since the time we approved an additional FSI of 2.5 for redevelopment of our colonies,about 2,106 of the total 3,844 buildings have got their conveyance done,” Manhas said,adding that the budgetary provision would be used to redevelop the remaining 1,738 buildings and generate more affordable houses.

Key budget allocations

* Rs 100 cr for redevelopment of its colonies

* Rs 50 cr for slum rehabilitation projects on MHADA-owned land

* Rs 10 cr for development of gardens,recreation grounds,playgrounds in MHADA housing societies in Mumbai