Punjab to Build 37,000 Affordable Houses Under New Project

The Punjab government plans to launch a large scale housing initiative to build 37,000 housing units in the coming months, as authorities speed up preparatory work for the project.

The government has designed the Punjab Affordable Housing Programme as a World Bank funded hybrid housing scheme with a total cost of 250 million dollars over five years. The program aims to strengthen housing institutions and increase both the supply and quality of affordable housing across the province.

According to an internal report submitted to the Punjab government, the program targets the construction of 37,000 housing units. Of these, the government will build 20,000 units on state owned land using World Bank financing, while private sector partners will deliver the remaining units under a blended delivery model.

The Urban Unit and the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency are implementing the project through a dedicated Programme Management and Implementation Unit. Authorities have identified 41 government owned sites across Punjab in coordination with land record and revenue departments.

Teams have completed field verification, and district administrations have joined the process in line with World Bank requirements. Separately, the government has decided in principle to construct up to 1,000 groundwater recharge wells this year to address declining water tables.

Water and Sanitation Agencies will begin construction across districts. The government has already launched a pilot in Lahore, where three recharge wells are operational and work continues at additional sites.