SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has seen the conversion of 336 government-funded vacant houses into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) under the Government of India’s initiative to provide dignified housing for urban migrants and economically weaker sections, the government revealed to the Lok Sabha today.
While this number is modest compared to other states, it marks an essential step in offering affordable living spaces to workers, including street vendors, industrial labourers, and domestic helpers in the region. However, the overall impact and effectiveness of the scheme in Jammu and Kashmir remain limited due to the scale of implementation and lack of detailed assessment by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The ARHC scheme, launched under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), aims to provide affordable rental housing near workplaces to reduce commuting costs and improve the living standards of urban migrants. The initiative operates through two models: repurposing existing vacant government-funded houses under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework and constructing new rental units on available vacant land. Nationwide, 5,648 vacant houses have been converted into ARHCs, while 82,273 new units have been sanctioned, with 35,425 already completed.
Despite these developments, the government has not conducted an official assessment on whether the scheme has effectively reduced commuting time and costs for workers. This omission makes it difficult to measure the programme’s success in achieving one of its key objectives—bringing housing closer to workplaces. While the scheme has certainly provided an affordable alternative to high market rents, its long-term impact on financial stability and urban planning efficiency remains unclear.
The rental rates for ARHCs are determined by local authorities based on surveys, with a provision for incremental rent increases every two years. The government has also introduced PMAY-U 2.0, which includes a dedicated Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) vertical to expand rental housing options for economically weaker sections. This revised scheme aims to construct, purchase, and rent houses for an additional one crore beneficiaries, with a continued focus on rental housing for migrants, workers, and students who do not wish to own property but require temporary accommodation.
The ARH vertical under PMAY-U 2.0 will continue using the two-model approach to incentivise private and public sector participation in rental housing projects. This effort is expected to prevent the growth of informal settlements and improve urban infrastructure. However, the challenge remains in ensuring adequate participation and addressing the specific needs of different urban migrant groups, including single women workers and students, through innovative housing designs.
