Mumbai's BMC Housing Lottery Sees Low Response: Only 2,037 Applications for 426 Flats

The BMC’s first-ever housing lottery has seen an unexpectedly low response, with only 2,037 applications received for 426 homes across the city. Despite the lukewarm interest, the civic body has decided to move forward with the process as scheduled.

The final list of eligible applicants will be released on Tuesday at 5 p.m., followed by the lottery draw on November 20 at 5 p.m. The names of successful as well as waitlisted applicants will be announced on November 21 at 5 p.m.

Earlier, such homes were allotted through the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery. However, the BMC is conducting the draw independently in an effort to streamline the allocation process.

The civic body received these flats under Regulation 15 of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, which mandates that developers of plots larger than 4,000 sq m surrender a portion of the built-up area for affordable housing. Additional units were acquired under Regulation 33(20)(b), which encourages the development of affordable housing on private plots.

Application numbers vary sharply across locations. On October 16, the BMC announced the sale of 426 flats, with an estimated revenue generation of around Rs. 308 crore. However, by the application deadline on November 14, the response varied significantly across locations.

Marol drew a staggering 937 applications for just 14 flats, while Kandivali received 393 applications for 46 units, and Goregaon saw 189 applications for 19 units.

The flats, priced between Rs 55 lakh and Rs 1 crore, are located across Kandivali, Bhandup, Byculla, Kanjurmarg, Jogeshwari, and Goregaon. Of the total units, 381 are reserved for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and 45 for Low-Income Group (LIG) buyers, with carpet areas ranging from 269 sq ft to 489 sq ft.