The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has officially announced the opening of 114 layouts across Mumbai for redevelopment. This marks a significant step in addressing the city's growing housing demands, with Mhada set to collaborate with developers for large-scale housing projects. Mhada, one of Mumbai's largest landowners, controls approximately 2,000 hectares of land across the city, ranging from layouts spanning 10 acres to the largest ones covering up to 140 acres.

Cluster Redevelopment to Drive Growth

Highlighted that cluster redevelopment would be the key to achieving sustainable growth in Mumbai. Cluster redevelopment allows for the effective laying of civic infrastructure and the provision of much-needed amenities, thereby transforming old and dilapidated areas into thriving residential hubs. This move is expected to contribute significantly to the city’s housing stock, which has long faced shortages.

Key Redevelopment Projects

As part of this initiative, Mhada has already identified several high-priority layouts for redevelopment, including:

• Motilal Nagar in Goregaon

• Abhyudaya Nagar in Parel

• Adarsh Nagar in Worli

• Bandra Reclamation

• GTB Nagar in Sion

• Redevelopment projects in Prabhadevi, Mahim, and Dadar.

These areas, including clusters of cessed buildings, will be revitalised through the cluster redevelopment model, enabling coordinated development and infrastructure improvement.

Strategic Goal of 30 Lakh Housing Units by 2030

The state's broader vision for the future, under the "MMR as an Economic Growth Hub 2030 blueprint," aims to create 30 lakh new housing units in the region. Of this, Mhada plans to contribute 8 lakh units through redevelopment initiatives. In line with this vision, Mhada is also undertaking the task of slum redevelopment, with a goal of building 25,000 tenements.

Improving Transparency with GPS Mapping

To increase transparency and streamline the redevelopment process, Mhada will soon introduce GPS mapping of all layouts on its website, providing clear and detailed information on the progress of each redevelopment project. This will allow stakeholders, including developers and the public, to track the status of individual building redevelopments.

Focus on Affordable Housing

The redevelopment strategy emphasises the need for affordable housing, especially in brownfield locations. To achieve this, Mhada has proposed a reduction in development charges and premiums to bring down the overall costs of affordable housing units. Mhada aims to create housing solutions for middle-income and economically weaker sections of society by revamping older buildings and land parcels in the city.

Lessons Learned from Past Projects

Mhada’s earlier redevelopment attempts, such as the one at Patra Chawl, faced significant challenges due to delays and illegal land transactions. However, the successful redevelopment of Patra Chawl by Mhada has now set a positive precedent. Jaiswal affirmed that Mhada would not allow individual redevelopment within a layout once it has been chosen for cluster redevelopment, ensuring consistency and quality across projects.

Looking Ahead

As Mhada continues to drive forward its ambitious redevelopment agenda, the authority is also tackling the slum rehabilitation project, with ongoing efforts in areas like Malvani, which will redevelop 17,000 hutments. This initiative, combined with other redevelopment projects, will collectively generate 45,000 new tenements, helping alleviate Mumbai’s housing crisis.

With these significant efforts underway, Mhada is positioning itself as a central player in Mumbai’s housing landscape, ensuring that urban growth meets the demands of the city’s expanding population.