New national housing policy on the cards

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Housing and Construction has decided to prepare a new national housing policy 2025 by revising the national housing policy of 2001.

The ministry has approached the World Bank and the United Nations Mission in Pakistan for the preparation of the new policy. According to sources, the World Bank has indicated cooperation in this regard and asked the ministry to send TORs to hire the services of a consultant firm to prepare a new national housing policy. The Ministry of Housing and Construction has prepared the TORs and sent them to the World Bank. A meeting is expected soon to finalize more details. The Ministry of Housing says that a new national housing policy is needed for sustainable development in Pakistan’s housing sector and to deal with the challenges faced by the housing sector. There is currently a severe housing shortage in Pakistan, especially in urban areas. In Balochistan alone, 192,000 houses were damaged in the 2022 floods.

The aim of the new policy is to overcome the housing shortage and ensure affordable housing to all cities and address the challenge of informal settlements. The informal settlement is 47 percent. The new policy aims to increase growth in the housing sector to create employment opportunities.