MHADA will review its 104 colonies

Recently, the Maharashtra State Government is in his effort to augment housing supply in Mumbai and in that process it asked to MHADA (Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority) to to review its all 104 colonies spread over 3,800 prime acres across the city. The Maharashtra State Government has also asked to MHADA to assess the quantum of fresh supply and demand through redevelopment of these colonies.

The housing authority of Maharashtra State Government is currently working on the report, to ascertain the additional housing supply which can be infused into the market in the next few years by redeveloping these colonies which was built between the ‘1960s and mid ‘1980s. According to the top officials of MHADA, “The assessment will be completed in the next three weeks. As now we have to consider the existing housing supply in these colonies which has already consumed FSI (floor space index), space needed to be used for rehabilitation of existing tenants and balance amount of FSI that can be used for fresh housing supply.” Floor space index (FSI) is the permissible development area on a land parcel and it can be estimated that around two lacs people are living in these 104 colonies and they are from middle-and lower-income group whereas; these colonies are located mostly in the central and suburban parts of Mumbai.

According to MHADA officials, “Out of total 104 colonies approx. 72 are such colonies where redevelopment can be undertaken. Of these 72 layouts, 56 complexes are in such a condition that they must be redeveloped soon.” Around 56 of these complexes should be redeveloped on larger layouts and almost not fit to be occupied because these complexes have been declared unsafe to live in by the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai).

The state had raised the Floor Space Index (FSI) for these colonies in 2013 to three from earlier limit of 2.5 in order to encourage the societies to come together under cluster development and from long time the efforts have been made to redevelop these housing colonies. Under the recently revised Floor Space Index (FSI), each existing tenant is expected to get a unit spread of over 405 square feet.