Bhubaneswar, Dec 23: Housing, being a fundamental human need and a key enabler of inclusive urban development, has assumed renewed importance in the context of rapid urbanisation across the country. While the Government of India continues to prioritise “Housing for All”, states are facing growing challenges related to land availability, housing supply, and financing.

The scenario in Odisha reflects these national trends. In response, the state government has placed enhanced focus on Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) projects to expand access to safe, dignified, and affordable housing for urban residents.

In this backdrop, Odisha Housing & Urban Development Secretary Usha Padhee, along with Mission Director, Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM), Subhananda Mohapatra, participated in a national-level workshop on affordable housing organised by NITI Aayog in New Delhi today.

During the workshop, NITI Aayog released its report titled “Comprehensive Framework to Promote and Enable Affordable Housing”, followed by detailed deliberations and brainstorming sessions involving States, policymakers, sector experts, and industry stakeholders.

Senior dignitaries who participated in the deliberations included Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA); Kuldip Narayan, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (Housing for All), MoHUA; Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog; and Anna Roy, Programme Director, Managing Urbanisation, NITI Aayog.

The framework outlines practical and actionable solutions for land enablement, including land aggregation models, creation of land banks, and transparent land inventory systems. It also recommends innovative financing pathways such as state-level shelter funds and other fiscal mechanisms to address constraints in affordable housing supply.

Speaking on the occasion, Usha Padhee said, “Affordable housing is central to building inclusive, resilient, and future-ready cities. The framework released by NITI Aayog provides a comprehensive roadmap for States to address challenges related to land and financing. Odisha will proactively work towards translating these recommendations into actionable strategies, strengthening Affordable Housing in Partnership projects, and ensuring that urban housing remains accessible and affordable for all sections of society.”

The Odisha delegation will now work towards operationalising the learnings from the workshop by developing concrete, context-specific action plans to further strengthen affordable housing initiatives across the state.