Journal Articles

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban) was launched in 2015 to address the housing requirements of the urban poor, having four verticals to channel its subsidies. Among them, Beneficiary- Led Individual House Construction (BLC) has emerged as the most successful, with a large proportion of housing being sanctioned under the same. To understand the process of BLC implementation and the innovative interventions by states, primary surveys were conducted across Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, accounting for 1 in every 10th BLC sanctions in the country. This paper aims to document the various aspects of BLC house construction associated with land, finance, and access to basic services. It further draws out learnings necessary for PMAY (U) that underscores the importance of BLC/self-built housing schemes to answer the critical demand-supply gap that is often widened by a dysfunctional real estate market, especially for the EWS. Finally, it identifies three primary enablers – access to land, holistic city planning, and access to institutional finances – to be leveraged for achieving the national ‘Housing for All’ agenda in the medium to long term.