Maharashtra’s state housing authority is set to release another 3,000 affordable homes through a lottery in March, extending a supply push that underscores both rising urban demand and the limits of private-sector affordability in fast-growing cities.
The Pune board of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) confirmed the additional draw days after declaring results for 4,186 homes across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The earlier scheme drew more than two lakh applications, reflecting the scale of unmet housing need in the metropolitan region. Over the past two-and-a-half years, MHADA’s Pune division has placed roughly 25,000 homes on the market. Officials attribute the strong response to regulated pricing, defined eligibility norms and digital lottery systems designed to improve transparency factors that continue to differentiate public housing from speculative segments of the real estate market.The latest batch will add to units offered under inclusionary frameworks such as the 20 per cent Inclusive Housing Scheme and the 15 per cent Social Housing Scheme. These provisions require private developments to earmark a share of stock for economically weaker sections and lower-income groups, integrating affordability within expanding urban zones rather than isolating it on the periphery. Urban planners note that such supply interventions are crucial in regions where land prices and construction costs have steadily risen. While Pune’s IT-driven growth has boosted incomes and employment, it has also intensified pressure on housing stock, especially for first-time buyers and migrant workers.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, MHADA is preparing to introduce around 5,000 additional affordable homes over the coming months, with a significant portion expected in Goregaon. Smaller batches in other neighbourhoods are also being lined up under different sale mechanisms, including first-come, first-served allotments. Price bands vary widely, ranging from sub-Rs 40 lakh units in distant suburbs to premium-category flats in South Mumbai priced above Rs 8 crore. Officials say the diversity reflects the authority’s mixed inventory profile, spanning older redeveloped colonies to newer constructions in emerging growth corridors. However, operational challenges remain. A recent postponement of an online registration process in Mumbai due to technical issues highlighted the digital infrastructure pressures that accompany high public participation. Housing economists argue that while lotteries alone cannot bridge the affordability gap, they serve as an important stabilising force in overheated markets. By anchoring a segment of supply to regulated pricing, state-led programmes help moderate speculative cycles and support inclusive urban growth.
With both Pune and Mumbai expanding rapidly, sustained public housing delivery aligned with transit connectivity, basic services and climate-resilient design will determine whether metropolitan growth remains accessible to a broad spectrum of residents rather than a narrowing income band.
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Pune MHADA lottery expands affordable housing
