HOUSING SCHEME FOR URBAN POORS – GOVERNMENT SCHME

News: PM Modi announces new scheme to help urban poor build houses

 

What's in the news?

       Recently, Prime Minister in his address on 77th Independence Day, unveiled a new scheme aimed at alleviating the housing crisis faced by the urban poor.

 

Key takeaways:

       The new scheme complements the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U), a flagship government initiative launched in 2015.

 

Housing Scheme for Urban Poors:

       Aimed at assisting the urban poor in building houses in cities.

       Relief in interest rates and loans from banks for house construction.

       Targeting those living in rented houses, slums, chawls, and unauthorized colonies.

       Middle-class families also benefit from the scheme.

       Government’s support to help save lakhs of rupees for the beneficiaries.

 

Beneficiaries:

       Female members of beneficiary families are preferred as the head of the household.

       Widows, transgenders, and differently-abled individuals receive special attention.

       Focuses on empowering women through property ownership.

       Beneficiary selection involves thorough surveys and verification.

 

Significance:

1. Demand-driven Approach:

       Conducts surveys to assess housing demand at the city and state levels.

       Beneficiary demand shapes the scale and scope of housing projects.

       Helps avoid underutilization of resources and mismatched housing supply.

2. Geotagging:

       Geotagging involves adding geographical coordinates to identify the location.

       Houses are geotagged using the Bhuvan platform developed by ISRO.

       Enhances transparency by enabling beneficiaries to verify house locations.

3. Women Empowerment:

       Provides recognition and ownership rights to women in property matters.

       Helps in bridging the gender gap in property ownership.

       Promotes women’s financial security and decision-making power.