NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday accorded approval to two significant proposals namely Affordable Rental Housing Complex (ARHC) scheme and dynamic parking norms.
The ARHC will be a mix of dwelling units single bedroom or double bedroom and dormitory with sufficient space for 4-6 beds including all common facilities. Under the scheme, the DDA has made provisions to provide an additional 50 per cent floor area ratio (FAR) above the permissible limit free of charges to incentivise the concept.
Maximum 10 per cent of the permissible FAR may be utilised as a commercial component, which could be rented out or sold by the developer entity (DE). The occupancy of the ARHCs will be granted on the basis of license deed with a minimum tenure of three months.
The policy was approved at a meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal, who is also the chairman of the DDA. Besides, authority’s chairman Anurag Jain, several members and officials of the DDA were also present.
Industry experts lauded the development. They said that ARHC is a major step toward providing affordable rental housing for migrant workers. Anuj Puri, Chairman, ANAROCK property consultants, said the dearth of suitable affordable rental housing in major cities led to mass exodus of migrants who had zero income during the lockdown in early 2020.
“Delhi-NCR was one of the major regions to witness such an exodus during the period. It was clear that the government needed to shift gears urgently in terms of affordable rental housing. Further, a maximum overall FAR of 50 per cent over and above, free of charge, will attract private developers into building such homes,” he said.
Under the revised parking norms, mandatory parking space for cars in a residential project will be determined on the basis of number and size of the dwelling units instead of built-up area. "This policy will ensure better utilisation of public funds. For example, in case of government hospitals, most of the people use public transport. The basements constructed for parking remain unused and are liable to misuse. Thus, in order to provide a balance, the existing norms have been revisited and revised," said an official.
The DDA gave preliminary approval to both schemes in March. They will now be sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for issuance of notification.