Provision of Affordable Housing: Assuming 1/3rd of the housing development is at the desired rate of 1 million units per year for the urban population. And further assuming that nearly 80% of that housing requirement is from low and middle-income level housing (SMH). Pakistan would need to invest nearly 250 billion rupees per year in the construction industry alone for this segment of the population. Present credit level for housing is less than 10% of the potential need. It presents a mega challenge not only to the financial sector but also to construction material industries (CMI), the labor force, and to town planners/municipal corporations/private and public sector agencies.

The basic challenge for low-cost housing is low-cost construction materials and reduced-priced land. The primary challenge is to design low-cost construction materials – DFI’s to promote research for this in association with CMIs. Another challenge is to promote standardization. Variety is less important than low-cost bulk production. Low cost of advertising by direct industry-to-industry sales. Transfer of technology for low-cost housing and standardization of low-cost CMIs to be promoted between ADFIAP member countries. DFI’s to become a link between CMIs, Builders, Architect/Design Firms, and Governmental agencies for promotion. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW/MIDDLE INCOME POPULATION.