Budget 2023: Affordable housing needs boost, says Anarock

NEW DELHI: India’s residential real estate sector looks hopefully to Budget 2023-24 to boost
the country’s flagging affordable housing segment. The segment had revived after the
government began to roll out incentives from 2015 and became ‘respectable’ with both buyers
and developers. However, the pandemic seriously impacted the affordable housing segment,
with both demand and supply shrinking to their lowest levels.
ANAROCK’s Consumer Sentiment Survey finds that in 2022, demand for affordable housing has
sunk precariously. In 2018, approx. 39% property seekers in the top 7 Indian cities were keen on
affordable homes priced within Rs 40 lakh. This demand shrunk to its lowest levels in 2022, with
just 26% property seekers looking to buy in this budget segment.
There is significant unsold affordable stock across the top 7 cities. Of approx. 6.30 lakh unsold
units in the top 7 cities by 2022-end, affordable housing accounted for over 27%. Demand has
remained low for this segment since the pandemic, and the government needs to revitalise it on
a priority basis. The upcoming budget presents an opportunity to do so.
What can the Budget 2023 do?
“One possible way the Budget can intervene is by revising the price bandwidths for homes that
qualify as affordable housing, as per the specific market dynamics of different cities,” says Anuj
Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Group. “The size of units that qualify for various affordable housing
benefits is currently 60 sq. m. on carpet area. While this is appropriate, the uniform price band of
up to INR 45 lakh for affordable housing is not aligned with the market realities of most major
cities.”
Rs 45 lakh or below is far too low in a city like Mumbai, where it should be increased to INR 85
lakh or more. In other major cities, the price band should be increased to INR 60-65 lakh. This
would result in more homes qualifying as affordable housing, enabling many more homebuyers
to avail benefits such as reduced GST at 1% without ITC, and other government subsidies.
“More tax sops for housing end-users and investors for affordable housing would also boost
demand,” says Puri. “The current tax rebate of INR 2 lakh on housing loan interest under
Section 24 of the Income Tax Act must be increased to at least INR 5 lakh. This will add
momentum to housing demand, particularly in the cost-sensitive affordable segment.”
“Budget 2023-24 can also push the government’s affordable rental housing scheme that was
launched post the pandemic. Covid-19 put serious constraints on the lower income groups,
causing many to step away from homebuying aspirations altogether. To add momentum to its
Housing for All vision, the government can use the Budget to incentivize ARHCs (Affordable
Rental Housing Complexes) which can fill the gap until homebuying capacity in the lower
income groups improves.”
To invite private participation in this initiative, the government had rolled out incentives such as
use permission, 50% additional FAR/FSI, concessional loan at priority sector lending rate, and
tax reliefs at par with affordable housing with a view to develop ARHCs on developer-owned
vacant land for 25 years. However, the low yields of affordable rental housing were a major
deterrent. Despite funding for such projects to be provided at concessional rates, most players
find it unviable to develop ARHCs on already scarce land procured at steep prices in the majorcities. The Budget is an opportunity to introduce more deal sweetening measures to finally get
Affordable Rental Housing Complexes going in the country.