The Centre is mulling to make it mandatory for the India Inc and the State Governments to build houses for the migrant workers or homeless employees on a rental basis.
Providing rented shelters to migrants through rental housing and Rent to Own schemes are some of the key features of the rental housing policy, an integral component in the revised National Housing and Habitat Policy which is presently being formulated by the Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry.
Sources said that besides State Governments and the industry, the Centre will also ask its Ministries like those of labour and Corporate Affairs to construct rental housing stock under their welfare funds. Such stock of housing would be rented to migratory workers or new employees who do not own their own houses in the city.
Besides, the HUPA Ministry will approach the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to impress industries to make provision for accommodation facilities for their employees through rental housing or Rent to Own schemes. "Also, Ministry of Corporate Affairs will be requested to include 'housing for their employees' as one of the activities under the Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR)", sources maintained.
The idea is to impress upon the Government and corporate organisations to create their own stock of housing, which can be rented to a new employee who is migrating into the city for job or does not have his own house in the city. In the absence of alternatives for rental housing as well as the un-affordability of house ownership, the growing cities in India is rapidly witnessing the growth of slums.
The Government's decision to ensure shelter on rent basis has been appreciated recently by a parliamentary panel too which noted that the corporate sector can promote housing scheme by utilising the Provident Fund.
It said that this will spare the houses for the migrants who come to the cities in search of jobs, or without prior employment opportunity in their hands. The Committee also recommended that such houses be rented to the individuals/families for either 10 years or till becoming a house owner, whichever is earlier.