BHUBANESWAR: The state government is advancing five major affordable housing projects in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Rourkela through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, as stated by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra in a written reply during the ongoing assembly session.
The projects are being executed under Model IV of the Housing for All (Urban) policy, which allows private developers to construct housing units on 65% of the project land, while utilizing the remaining 35% for their commercial or residential use.
According to the minister’s reply, the houses are being built in accordance with the Odisha Housing for All (Urban Area), 2022 guidelines, ensuring standards for affordable housing units in urban areas across the state.
The ongoing projects aim to meet the increasing demand for low-cost housing, especially in metropolitan clusters where land prices and migration pressures have surged.
The five PPP projects consist of the Narayanpur Affordable Housing Project in Cuttack, Neelamadhav Awas Yojana, Chandrasekharpur, Shantipali Awas Yojana, Satya Nagar, the Chandrasekharpur Affordable Housing Project, and the Chhend Affordable Housing Project in Rourkela.
The minister clarified that, as these developments fall under the PPP framework, no per-square-foot construction cost has been set by the government; developers are bound by the service obligations defined in the agreement rather than a fixed cost cap.
In response to concerns about some affordable units potentially being smaller than anticipated, the minister affirmed that all units comply with the National Housing Standard (NHS) and state policy norms.
He noted that the projects are structured to maximize accessibility for economically weaker and lower-income groups while maintaining urban livability standards. Collectively, these projects will provide over 5,000 dwelling units for the urban poor.
These initiatives are expected to significantly enhance the stock of affordable housing in the three major urban centers. With rapid demographic shifts and growing demand for formal housing, officials indicated that the PPP model is the quickest and most financially feasible approach to alleviate the urban housing deficit.
