Govt is Changing National Housing Policy After Over 2 Decades
The Ministry of Housing and Construction has decided to draft a new National Housing Policy 2025 by updating the existing policy from 2001.
To develop the new policy, the ministry has sought assistance from the World Bank and the United Nations Mission in Pakistan. According to sources, the World Bank has expressed willingness to collaborate and requested the ministry to submit Terms of Reference (TORs) for hiring a consultant firm to assist in drafting the policy. The ministry has prepared and sent the TORs to the World Bank, and a meeting is expected soon to finalize further details.
The Ministry of Housing emphasized the need for a new policy to ensure sustainable development in Pakistan’s housing sector and address ongoing challenges, including a severe housing shortage, particularly in urban areas. In Balochistan alone, 192,000 houses were damaged during the 2022 floods.
The new policy aims to tackle the housing shortage, ensure affordable housing across cities, and address the issue of informal settlements, which currently account for 47 percent of housing. Additionally, it seeks to stimulate growth in the housing sector, thereby creating employment opportunities.