A/HRC/34/51/Add.1 21. Under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme is an ambitious programme, the aim of which is to build approximately 20 million houses in urban areas, potentially housing 100 million people. The goal is to address the housing needs of many of the urban poor, including those living in listed informal settlements. That is being implemented through a number of strategies: (a) eradicating the gap between supply and demand, and improving the living conditions of the urban poor; (b) increasing self-ownership of all-weather, sustainable and disasterresilient dwelling units; (c) gradual elimination of obsolete housing, and improvement and rehabilitation of occupied units; and (d) empowerment and equity for the marginalized sectors of society. 21 In order to achieve those objectives, the scheme includes four development options: in-situ redevelopment, credit subsidies, affordable housing in partnership (private or public sector), and subsidies for beneficiary-led individual house construction or enhancement. Houses constructed under the scheme would be registered in the name of the female head of the household or in the joint names of the wife and husband. 22. One of the most progressive elements of the programme is that it is based on the recognition that, as far as possible, “slum rehabilitation” should occur in situ. Under the urban rehabilitation and redevelopment portion of the scheme, eligible residents of informal settlements are provided with temporary accommodation in transit camps. Once new houses are constructed, households are provided with a unit equipped with basic services and amenities, requiring the payment of a one-time fee. Maintenance costs are covered for 10 years by the developer, after which time residents become responsible for those expenses, and become full owners of their units. 23. Under a similar scheme, known as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — Grameen (village), the Ministry of Rural Development aims to facilitate the construction of 10 million houses in rural areas by 2022. It replaced the Indira Awas Yojana scheme. It is a subcomponent of Bharat Nirman, a business plan for building and strengthening rural infrastructure. One of the key features of the scheme is the provision of assistance for the construction of the 10 million houses in rural areas over the period from 2016 to 2019. 22 24. Stakeholders expressed concern with the single emphasis on homeownership in both the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — Grameen schemes to the exclusion of other tenure options, such as rental housing or usufruct rights over land. The Special Rapporteur looks forward to the adoption of the draft rental housing policy and the draft model tenancy act, which were under preparation at the time of her visit, and hopes that those tenure options will be included in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme in urban areas. 25. Moreover, while the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme signals national-level interest in addressing the enormous housing shortage and the needs of the poorest, the affordability of the programme for those residing in informal settlements is a concern. If they cannot access some of the credit-based subsidies, which even if provided at lower interest rates than the market rate (6.5 per cent as opposed to 10 per cent average at market level), the scheme may at times prove financially inaccessible. That would result in residents having to stay in transition camps longer than originally expected. The conditions in the camps are not much better than in informal settlements, as they are meant to be temporary at best. 21 22 8 India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation “India Habitat III”, p. 86. India, Press Information Bureau, “Implementation of the rural housing scheme of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana — Gramin to achieve Housing for All by 2022”, 23 March 2016. Available from www.pib.gov.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=138213.