PMAY-urban, countrywide and well intentioned housing program which primarily aims to reach the inadequately housed low -income groups through a market led supply of affordable housing is an important program, its relevance amplified in the current context. It is essential that the program succeeds and delivers which, among other things, presupposes substantial improvement of the delivery system at all levels.

What we know so far (through secondary data study) is that the programme has since shifted its initial target of building 20 million units to 10 million (in 2018) and as of September 2019, 30% of the 9 million units sanctioned are built and 40% of central assistance released. We also know that two verticals under PMAY-urban: Affordable housing in partnership and Beneficiary-led construction both account for maximum houses sanctioned thus far. Of the 35 States/UTs that are participating in the scheme, there is a wide variation in progress with 7 States forming 70% of the total sanctioned 9 million houses (as of September 2019).

Our intent through this initiative is to go beyond numbers and capture on ground conditions: How are States implementing PMAY-urban? What is working? What is not working? What are the innovations? What are bottlenecks? Who is the program reaching and who is it leaving out? What are its unintended consequences? What policy supports are working? What more is required to be done for better results?

This initiative seeks to cover the following 9 States across the country: Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Telangana/Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala.