The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has received an overwhelming response to its ongoing lottery for the allotment of 2,030 houses under its Mumbai regional board. With the deadline for applications set for September 19, 2024, the number of applications has already crossed 90,000, with over 70,000 applicants paying the earnest money deposit required to participate in the lottery.
Strong Response to Housing Units
As of the latest figures provided by MHADA, a total of 94,733 applications have been received, of which 70,562 have made the earnest money deposit, a key requirement for being eligible for the lottery. MHADA officials expect this number to cross 1 lakh applications before the application deadline. The enthusiasm for this year’s lottery is notable, although last year MHADA had received 1,22,318 applications for 4,082 tenements.
Housing Categories and Application Breakdown
Of the 2,030 houses available, about half are designated for the general public, and these units have seen the highest demand. 78,437 applications have been submitted for 1,038 units in the general category. In addition to the general public, the lottery also includes reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), journalists, arts professionals, elected representatives, and other groups. While most categories have seen applications far exceeding the available units, the reservation for elected representatives received only four applications for 33 units.
The lottery offers units for different income groups, with 358 units reserved for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 627 units for the Low-Income Group (LIG), 768 units for the Middle-Income Group (MIG), and the remaining units for the High-Income Group (HIG).
Price Reductions and Extended Deadlines
MHADA has extended the application deadline from the initial September 4 to September 19, 2024, allowing more time for potential buyers to participate. Additionally, MHADA reduced prices on 370 units—mostly high-income group units—by 10 to 25 percent following requests from applicants and feedback on the high prices. For example, the costliest unit, located in Tardeo, was reduced from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 6.8 crore.
The lottery results will be announced on October 8, 2024 in Mumbai, bringing a much-anticipated end to the application process and offering homes to thousands of hopeful applicants.
