Mumbai Slum Rehabilitation Authority Delivers Over 2.35 Lakh Homes

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority has delivered more than 2.35 lakh rehabilitation homes across Mumbai, providing permanent housing to families previously living in informal settlements, according to official figures.

Established in December 1995 under the Maharashtra Slum Areas Act, the SRA was created to ensure slum dwellers received formal housing within the city rather than being relocated to distant peripheries. By the 1990s, more than half of Mumbai's population lived in slum settlements, facing regular monsoon flooding, water shortages, and inadequate sanitation.

Senior official Deshmukh noted that the state government recognized that simply clearing slums would not address the core issue, stating that residents deserved dignified housing and structured rehabilitation.

To fund the redevelopment without placing a direct financial burden on residents, the authority introduced a cross-subsidy mechanism. Under this framework, private developers build free rehabilitation housing for eligible slum residents and recover project costs through the construction and sale of commercial and residential units on the same land.

Govind Magar explained that the primary challenge was ensuring financial viability in a city with elevated land costs. Developers were granted additional development rights to fund the rehabilitation component through the market sale units.

Currently, the SRA manages surveys, permissions, eligibility verification, and redevelopment planning across thousands of slum pockets throughout Mumbai, with several additional housing projects underway.