Delhi’s new rehabilitation policy is set to extend permanent housing eligibility to around five lakh families living in slum settlements established up to 1 January 2025, with in-situ rehabilitation and homes within three kilometres of existing settlements given priority.
The Delhi government has notified the Delhi Slum and Jhuggi-Jhopri Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy-2026 to provide eligible residents with secure housing and basic services. The policy is expected to benefit nearly 20 lakh people, according to the report by Jagran – New Delhi.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government’s objective was not merely to remove slums or redevelop settlements, but to provide families with housing, security and dignity. She also said the policy would create a framework for planned redevelopment, community participation and more effective use of land in the capital.
The revised policy expands the eligibility window. Earlier, settlements established up to 2015 were included. Under the new framework, slum settlements that existed by 1 January 2025 will be considered, subject to the prescribed eligibility conditions. The change brings a larger number of households within the policy’s potential coverage.
Eligible families will be offered alternative housing, with rehabilitation at the existing site prioritised. Where in-situ rehabilitation is not possible, the government will attempt to provide permanent homes within a three-kilometre radius of the settlement. The stated aim is to reduce the disruption caused when residents are moved far from their existing neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools and local support networks.
The housing offer will comprise one-bedroom, hall and kitchen units. The policy also provides for schools, anganwadi centres, healthcare facilities and children’s play areas near the residential complexes. These provisions indicate that the rehabilitation programme is intended to involve not only the construction of dwelling units but also the creation of supporting community infrastructure.
The policy further states that slum settlements existing before 1 January 2025 will not be removed if eligible residents have not been allotted alternative housing, provided they meet the specified conditions. This links eviction protection to both the settlement’s date of existence and the household’s eligibility under the policy.
The reported announcement does not specify the total number of housing units to be constructed, the funding arrangement, the implementing agencies, project-wise timelines or the process through which individual households will establish eligibility. Those details will determine how quickly the policy can translate into completed homes and how disputes over beneficiary lists and settlement dates are handled.
The government’s next steps will involve applying the notified policy to eligible settlements and determining the location and delivery model for alternative housing. The policy’s implementation will therefore be central to whether the expanded housing promise results in in-situ redevelopment or nearby resettlement for the affected families.
