LAHORE: Punjab’s flagship low-cost housing initiative, the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme, is seeking nomination for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) award in recognition of its contribution to sustainable and inclusive urban development.
Launched in August 2024 by the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA), the programme was designed to address the province’s growing affordable housing crisis. Within its first year, it has disbursed US$350 million in interest-free loans to over 105,000 households, enabling families to construct or upgrade their homes.
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“By late 2025, 30,000 of nearly 100,000 under-construction houses have been completed, marking one of the fastest rollouts of affordable housing in Pakistan’s history,” said PHATA Director General Sikandar Zeeshan.
He added that the programme’s success stems from a combination of policy reforms, financial innovation, and digital governance. Punjab has updated decades-old housing regulations, introduced Joint Venture Rules to attract private investment, and built a fully digital management system for housing markets, project monitoring, and beneficiary tracking.
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“These reforms have minimized bureaucracy, improved transparency, and made targeting more precise — ensuring that support reaches the most deserving families,” Mr Zeeshan said. He further noted that new planning criteria have been introduced to prioritize infrastructure investment in connected, viable housing sites, restoring investor confidence and expanding access to serviced land.
Secretary of the Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department, Capt (retired) Noorul Amin Mengal, highlighted the programme’s wider socio-economic benefits. “For thousands of low-income families, owning a home now means more than shelter — it represents long-term security, access to utilities, and intergenerational stability,” he said.
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Mr Mengal emphasized that the initiative also empowers women, particularly female-headed households, by ensuring their inclusion in housing finance and ownership schemes. “The programme has generated employment, boosted allied industries, and promoted environmentally resilient construction practices aligned with Pakistan’s climate goals,” he added.
He acknowledged that the initiative initially faced challenges such as limited institutional capacity and weak coordination with private developers. “Through targeted reforms — including the establishment of Programme Management Units, strengthened fiduciary systems, and enhanced private sector engagement — these hurdles were turned into opportunities,” he said.
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Officials said the nomination for the UN-Habitat Sustainable Urban Development Award would underscore Punjab’s progress in inclusive housing, urban planning innovation, and green infrastructure.