NAREDCO presents models for Public Private Partnership in housing

National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) today organized a day-long National Conference on Public Private Partnership in Housing. The objective of the National Conference was to evolve innovative, transparent and hassle free Public Private Partnership models which could bring synergy between public & private sector in tackling the housing requirement of urban India, especially the urban poor.

The main highlight of the National Conference were the domestic experiences of PPP in housing that NAREDCO presented as key highlights of a strategic report it has developed in association with its knowledge partner, Knight Frank, the international property consultants. The strategic report was released by Ms. Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India. She also shared the Government’s perspective on the approach. NAREDCO formally submitted the report to the Government which besides the domestic experiences of PPP in housing also had some of the relevant international best practices from United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa and France.

In developing India, we are faced with the problems of slums and squatters as our cities do not have the required infrastructure and shelter to accommodate growing migration of the people to urban areas. As per Govt. own estimates, there is a shortage of more than 25 million houses mostly in Low Income Group Category. This shortage is growing despite best efforts by the Government and the private sector. This huge shortage require more than Rs. 4,00,000 crore of investment. Problem of this magnitude can not be handled either by Government or by Private Sector independently. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is right approach to address this problem.

“This conference has made an earnest attempt to bring all stake holders on one platform and deliberate upon the issues, concerns and opportunities to reduce widening gap between housing demand and supply and to make housing affordable to all. We have had very constructive discussions today and we shall incorporate the major observations, learning and ideas generated at the National Conference into the strategic report before presenting to the Government. This indeed was a truly interactive public private platform,” said Brig. (Retd.) R.R. Singh, Director General, NAREDCO.

Domestic experiences of PPP in housing including Dharavi Redevelopment Project, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Nagpur, and Pimpri Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNTDA) were shared with the audience. NAREDCO also presented the recommended models for PPP in housing – the Brownfield model of PPP for redevelopment and rehabilitation and the Greenfield model of PPP for development of unused land based on the learning from domestic experiences of PPP in housing and the relevant international best practices from aforementioned countries. The concluding session dealt with issues of land supply, financing mechanism and use of new materials and technologies such that housing can be made as affordable as possible.

The Conference saw participation from senior officers and representatives of Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Planning Commission; United Nation Habitat; Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (HUDCO); Building Material and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC); state governments; development authorities; housing boards; and local bodies besides the leading private sector developers from across the country.