Islamabad: Shortage of housing units touches 55,000

[Naveed Yaseen]

CDA figures show capacity of 35,000 units in new sectors

by Noor Aftab
The shortage of housing units has touched the all-time high figure of 55,000 in the capital. It is becoming extremely difficult for moderate-income people to find a house on rent in residential sectors of the metropolis despite offering a lion’s share of their monthly incomes.

According to the latest official data provided to ‘The News,’ the existing number of residential units in the capital is 75,000 while the current demand has risen to 130,000, showing a considerable backlog in the face of the ever-increasing inflow of job seekers from various parts of the country.

The housing shortage, currently increasing by 5,000 units per year, has adversely paved the way for unprecedented rise in rents of residential units that has made it difficult for people earning Rs10,000 to 20,000 per month to get their hands on an affordable accommodation in the city.

The situation is greatly benefiting owners of flats in residential sectors so much so that they are often able to adjust two families in a two-room flat with a kitchen and a bathroom, charging a monthly rent ranging between Rs5,000-7,000 from each of them.

“I never thought that my wife and I would share a flat with a family, but unfortunately it happened. There was no other way to get an accommodation on a monthly rent of Rs6,000,” said Tanveer Iqbal, who lives in a residential flat in Sector G-10/3.

The civic authority, which is supposed to initiate measures for provision of residential units in line with the increasing demand, has miserably failed to complete the construction of residential units for low-income people in the sectors launched some years ago even after a gap of 18 long years.

Figures provided by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) show that if development work on three new sectors of I-14, I-15 and I-16 is completed, 28,000 new housing units would be available to people. And if sectors D-12 and E-12 are also included, the total capacity of new sectors would reach 35,000 units, having a potential to reduce the housing shortage by more than 50 per cent.

The Islamabad Rent Restriction Ordinance 2001 was introduced to regulate property rents but owners gave no importance to it and kept on increasing property rents on their own in clear violation of the prescribed rules.

“It was due to the ambiguity in provisions on some issues, including the time of tenancy, rate of rent, increase in rent and eviction of the tenant, that the ordinance often generated conflict between stakeholders that always resulted in the victimisation of tenants,” said Imran-ul-Haq, a lawyer.

Most homeowners in posh sectors of G-6, F-6, F-7, F-8 and E-7 keep asking property dealers to search for foreign clients, as they pay high rents as compared to local people. Many international organisations and corporate entities are operating in these sectors, including foreign missions, non-government organisations, guesthouses, beauty salons and other commercial outlets, which have led to an unprecedented increase in residential property rents.

The surge in rents of residential units in sectors G-11 and F-11 has touched a record high level, as the monthly rent for a house, often newly built, in these sectors now stands between Rs20,000 and Rs25,000 against Rs8,000-10,000 some years back.

“I tried really hard to find a house on a monthly rent of Rs15,000 in Sector G-11, but home owners were not willing to provide their newly-built houses at this much rent,” said Ayaz Malik, a legal consultant, who wishes to shift his family from his hometown to Islamabad.

Meanwhile, slums keep on spreading relentlessly with overcrowded, filthy and dilapidated mud-houses which lack toilet and bathing facilities and are in a frightful state of disrepair. But people have no option but to take shelter in these shanty houses in a city that is generally dubbed as one of the most planned cities in the world.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=152707