REVIEWING IMPACTS OF NEO-LIBERAL IDEOLOGIES ON HOUSING POLICIES FOR URBAN POOR IN INDIA

Abstract

Basic Services for Urban Poor is a watershed mission in the history of urban India’s development related initiatives taken by union Government of India for urban poor which represents the advent of stress on mass affordable housing projects, pan city approach promoting universal access to basic services and ‘in-situ’ development. The mission targeted construction of 1.5 million housing units requiring a review urgently.  Purpose of the research paper is to carry out an ex-post impact review of affordable housing projects in the Basic Services for urban Poor- 2005 mission recipient cities in India to glean major issues of the end user beneficiaries.  Research methodology- The author has attempted an ex-post study of mass housing projects constructed under BSUP mainly in metropolitan cities through literature review. Originality of the ideas expressed by the authors has been maintained. Research papers on the BSUP affordable housing projects covering various provinces across length and breadth of India have been selected to make the study representative. Scope of the paper covers review of BSUP Affordable Housing Projects alone. Limitation of research is, no primary surveys shall be conducted. Findings- The role of the government changed from direct intervention as provider to an enabler. Housing affordability-cost recovery and replicability without payment of subsidies to the urban poor became the principles of housing and slum, squatter related policies. Standards were set to fulfil affordability of housing. Serviced plots and ‘in-situ’ slum environment improvement became a norm which was not practiced necessarily. National trends show that BSUP became a construction project largely failing in to provide basic services and good quality housing to the urban poor.