Nearly five lakh families living in Delhi’s slum settlements could get permanent homes under a new rehabilitation policy notified by the Delhi Govt on Diwali. The scheme, which is expected to cover around 20 lakh people, promises priority housing within existing settlements or within three kilometres of their present homes, keeping residents closer to their workplaces, schools and essential services.
The Delhi Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Relocation and Rehabilitation Policy, 2026, extends the eligibility framework to slum settlements established before January 1, 2025. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the policy was intended to provide eligible families with secure housing rather than remove or redevelop slum clusters.
Under the policy, in-situ rehabilitation will be given priority. The Government will seek to provide alternative accommodation at the existing settlement site or within a three-kilometre radius. The stated objective is to prevent families from being pushed far from their sources of livelihood, children’s schools and daily necessities when they move into permanent homes.
Eligible beneficiaries will be provided one-bedroom, hall and kitchen (1-BHK) flats. The residential complexes will also include schools, Anganwadi centres, healthcare facilities, and playgrounds, in accordance with applicable planning provisions for the respective areas.
The policy includes safeguards for families living independently on different floors of the same dwelling. Where separate households occupy different floors and independently meet the prescribed eligibility and documentation requirements, they may be considered for separate housing units.
It also provides that eligible families in settlements existing before January 1, 2025, will not be removed without alternative accommodation. Families with persons with disabilities will receive priority for ground-floor units, subject to certification requirements and availability. For married couples, the housing unit will be allotted jointly.
The Government has also outlined arrangements for families affected by redevelopment under the public-private partnership model. Developers will have to provide temporary housing or rental accommodation, or financial assistance towards rent, during the redevelopment period. They will also ensure basic services during this period.
To address concerns about maintaining new housing complexes, the policy provides for upkeep of shared infrastructure, services, and security arrangements for five years from the date of the first allotment. Beneficiary associations will subsequently take part in managing common facilities.
House allotments will be made through a computerised lottery. A grievance redressal and appeal mechanism will allow eligible families to raise objections or concerns before the appropriate authority. The Government will also develop a centralised geographic information system-based platform to monitor projects, manage allotments and maintain beneficiary records. The system is intended to prevent duplicate allotments and improve monitoring.
Announcing the policy, the Chief Minister said the Government wanted rehabilitation to give low-income families not just a roof but access to better living conditions and greater security. She said families who had contributed to the capital’s growth through their labour were entitled to dignified housing.