Indian cities have long struggled with the challenge of inadequate housing amidst rapid urbanization and worsening urban poverty. Government policies have failed to fill the gap, focused as they are on ownership housing alone and neglecting rental housing. The 2015 draft National Urban Rental Housing Policy and 2019 draft Model Tenancy Act aim to rectify this situation. For these policies to be successful, however—and for India to realize its goal of ‘housing for all’—the government must provide incentives and encourage all states to be equal partners in the endeavor. India’s Directive Principles of State Policy encourages the State to 1 secure, among others, a decent standard of living for all. This goal cannot be achieved without providing adequate shelter. As India has rapidly urbanized in recent decades, with the urban population growing 2 3 from 62.4 million in 1951 to 377.1 million in 2011, its cities have failed to provide sufficient housing for all residents, especially for migrant populations. These are Indian governments efforts for enabling housing for all.

These efforts of Indian government are focused on the creation of ownership housing stock. The public sector was concerned with providing affordable housing to the vulnerable populations, while the private sector addressed the needs of the moneyed segments. Despite its large size and potential, the private sector found affordable housing unattractive given the lack of a nurturing policy framework and governmental support. The public sector, meanwhile, appears to have concluded that ‘housing for all’ only meant ownership housing.