Kerala State Housing Board | Real Estate | Kerala Property

In this article, we will discuss the various features and aspects of the Kerala State Housing Board and also make you familiar with the Kerala State Housing Board Members comprised in it. We will also provide a discussion on the projects undertaken by the board.

A brief history on the Kerala State Housing Board

Before the Kerala State Housing Board came into existence, various organisations – both government and non-government institutions were concerned with the development of housing programmes in the state. Earlier, the Trivandrum City Improvement Trust Act, 1960 and the Madras Town Planning Act, 1920 were the statements under which the state’s developments took place. However, the government infused new measures to be adopted in the state to improve the state’s welfare and the economy, and thus, the Kerala State Housing Board Ordinance Act, 1970 was enacted for the formation of the Housing Board.

The Board comprises of members 4 official members appointed by the Government of Kerala and 11 non-official members nominated by the State Government. The Director is the head or the Chairperson of the organisation and there is a Housing Commissioner who is also known to be the ex-officer secretary of the Board. The housing board has its headquarters located in Thiruvananthapuram and is also known to operate from its regional offices located in Kochi and Kozhikode.

Objectives stated by the Board

Following are some of the objectives stated by the Kerala State Housing Board for the transformation of the state by improving the state’s slums and regenerating them into urban centres.

• Construction of houses for the EWS, low-income and middle-income group people living in unhealthy and unhygienic conditions.
• Financing construction works for people eager to build houses on their owned land.
• Urban development of the state.
• Establishment of commercial properties like offices, shops, industries, factories, etc.
• Development of Infrastructural amenities like roads and transport system, solid waste management, sewage and drainage facilities, water and power supplies, etc.

Projects by Kerala State Housing Board

Since its establishment in the year 1970, the Kerala State Housing Board has engaged and promoted several developmental projects in the state of Kerala. A few of them are discussed below.  

• MN One Lakh Housing Project: Launched in the year 1972, this is one of the initial development programmes adopted by the Board. It was indeed the biggest attempt by the Board at that time to render housing facilities for the unprivileged classes of the society. The Government of India subsidised the expenditure incurred on the buying of plots and developments of houses for the poor and landless agricultural labourers.
• Rajiv One Million Housing Project: Another scheme adopted for the development of housing facilities and improving the living conditions of the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). This is launched in the year 1992 and was completed by 1997. Under this housing scheme, a total of 1% of the constructed accommodated were reserved for the physically challenged group of the society.
• Tsunami Housing Project: Kerala is one of the states that are worst hit by tsunamis now and then. In the year 2004, the coastal areas were badly hit and thus, the Kerala State Housing Board undertook a development program for construction and renovation of houses in the tsunami-prone zone. A total of 3624 units of accommodations were constructed under this scheme in areas such as Kasaragod, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kollam.
• Suraksha Housing Project: Not only were the Kerala State Housing Board concerned with the undertaking of construction programmes for the welfare of the inhabitants of Kerala but also, they helped the poor and needy on financial terms. This scheme was launched to financially assist those persons holding 2 cents of land to construct their own houses. Moreover, active participation of agencies and NGOs were also appreciated by the Board along with waiving off the loans.
• Housing for NoRKs: Not many will be familiar with the term NoRKs. Well, it stands for the Non-Resident Keralites who are employed abroad. This scheme was adopted by the housing board to implement housing projects for the homeless striving in the state of Kerala. 

Conclusion

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme of “Housing for All”, the Kerala State Housing Board has also launched programmes for the development of houses and provisions for Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for the EWS category people. Moreover, projects have also been undertaken for the development of houses for people from the lower and middle-income group.

The Kerala State Housing Board is engaged in providing urban households along with basic hygiene facilities for the people living in extremes of conditions such as without water supply or power, etc. Keralites could enrol themselves as beneficiaries to benefit from the subsidies provided by the Government of Kerala as well as the Central Government as a whole.

Applications for enrolment of beneficiaries are released online at the official portal of the Government of Kerala. Applicants could fill in the details and apply for the beneficiary on conditions and criteria stated in the online portal itself. Note that the applicants will only be able to receive subsidies and concessions based on the features and grants listed on the PMAY Scheme since the urban development programmes are scheduled under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Also Read:

Odisha State Housing Board
Telangana Housing Board
Rajasthan Housing Board
Karnataka Housing Board
Jharkhand State Housing Board
Jammu Kashmir Housing Board
Gujarat Housing Board