MoHUA celebrates World Habitat Day 2026 with focus on advancing affordable, resilient and Inclusive housing

Key Highlights:

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) celebrated World Habitat Day 2026 under the theme 'Adequate Housing for All'.
• The event focused on strengthening the urban housing ecosystem through innovation, policy reforms, technology, and sustainable financing.
• PMAY-U Awards 2026 were presented to best-performing States/UTs, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and partner agencies for their contributions to housing initiatives.
• These awards will be institutionalized and held annually on World Habitat Day to promote best practices and healthy competition.
• A new mobile application and revamped websites for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0 were launched.
• Technical sessions addressed rental housing, bridging the housing demand-supply gap, and low-cost indigenous technologies with financing.

Detailed Insights:

• The celebration highlighted India’s ongoing efforts to ensure access to safe, affordable, inclusive, and dignified housing for all.
• It showcased diverse approaches and progress made under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0 towards the "Housing for All" objective.
• Publications from organizations like HUDCO, NCHF, NHB, CGEWHO, and BMTPC were released during the event.
• Technical deliberations explored structural challenges in rental housing and measures to create an enabling ecosystem for it.
• Discussions also covered regulatory and policy measures needed to address the mismatch between housing demand and supply.
• The role of innovative, low-cost, and indigenous construction technologies combined with appropriate financing solutions was emphasized.
• The event reaffirmed India’s commitment to providing adequate housing, contributing to the broader vision of an inclusive and Viksit Bharat.

Key Concepts Involved:

• World Habitat Day: An annual observance on the first Monday of October to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U): A flagship mission launched in 2015 to provide affordable housing to all eligible urban households.
• Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs): A sub-scheme under PMAY-U to provide affordable rental housing for urban migrants and the urban poor.