As urban areas became the epicentres of COVID-19, it sparked several conversations about the frailties of Indian cities — the lack of affordable housing, lack of adequate social safety nets, public health risks owing to poor sanitation, and most importantly, the vulnerabilities of informal settlements.
To what extent are our urban policies successful in assuring access to housing and services among vulnerable sections? How do the underlying governance frameworks in our cities affect the outcomes of these policies? Can secure land rights catalyse our transition towards more inclusive and resilient urban centers?
Why is it that despite many affordable public housing schemes like the Central Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a large number of houses built under them remain unoccupied? Why haven’t they been able to effectively manage the gaps in affordable housing? Further, in the private housing market, why is it that a large number of landlords intentionally leave their houses vacant despite significant demand for housing?