* Shortage annually increasing by 270,000 houses
* Labour minister says govt working on 1m houses for low-income groups

For an estimated population of 169 million, there should be 28 million housing units – as per an average national occupancy rate of six persons per dwelling -but there are approximately 23 million housing units in the country, thus depicting a shortfall of around 5 million units.

The data provided to the National Assembly on Friday by the Housing and Works Ministry shows that with a shortfall of 5 million housing units, 30 million people in the country are either homeless or have been accommodated by their kin. The ministry did not directly reply to a question about the number of homeless families in the country, but provided some rough data on the issue.

It said that under the 1998 census, the total number of housing units throughout the country was 19.3 million, whereas the total housing backlog was 4.40 million units.

Annual shortfall: The annual additional requirement was estimated at around 570, 000 housing units, whereas the annual production of 300,000 housing units has resulted in an annual shortfall of 270,000 units. According to the projections based on the 1998 census, there are around 23 million housing units in the country. “Taking into account the present population of 169 million and an average national occupancy rate per dwelling of six persons, the actual figures can only be worked out after the forthcoming population census, which is likely to be carried out in 2010,” the ministry said.

Govt’s plan: In response to supplementary questions posed by members during the question hour, Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah said the government was working on a plan to construct one million houses for low-income people, “but the construction speed of these houses is slow”. To a question, he said the government was working on a strategy to meet the shortfall of five to six hundred thousand houses per annum.

Minister for Zakat and Ushr Noorul Haq Qadri told the House that the total amount of Zakat deducted by banks during 2008-09 was Rs 4400.66 million, against which an amount of Rs 3382.38 million has been utilised. Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi told the House that during haj 2008, the ministry had collected Rs 23.3 billion from pilgrims, of which Rs 22.9 billion was spent as expenditures while Rs 21. 6 billion was collected in 2009, of which Rs 20.77 billion had been spent.
Daily Times