September 12, 2025

NEW DELHI: Get ready for a fresh twist in city housing! Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has called on the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to roll out affordable rental homes on its land spots spread across cities. His focus? Making life easier for the young workforce moving to metros for jobs. Vaishnaw revealed a golden chance to develop rental housing complexes that won’t burn holes in pockets. “I have urged RLDA chairman to look into this. This will cater to the requirements of people who come to cities after getting jobs and work. They need decent accommodation at an affordable price,” he said. Why rental housing, you ask? It’s a massive hit in big cities worldwide, helping workers settle smoothly without heavy buying costs. RLDA is already redeveloping many railway land projects, including residential ones, in various cities. This scheme also promises a double benefit. Not only will it provide affordable homes, but it could also become a strong revenue stream for RLDA. Sources from the railway ministry highlighted how this step can solve a big pain point faced by countless people moving to cities for work. Remember when the government launched the Affordable Rental Housing Complex (ARHC) scheme during Covid-19’s first phase? Its goal was to help migrant workers, who otherwise end up crowded in slums or unauthorized colonies just to save on rent. Now, this new RLDA move builds on that momentum, aiming to bring better living options for the backbone of urban development – the young, working crowd. So, the next time you think of city housing, imagine neat rental homes popping up where old railway lands once lay. Thanks to Ashwini Vaishnaw and RLDA, affordable and decent city homes might just be around the corner!

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Tags: Railway land development authority, Affordable rental housing, Ashwini vaishnaw, Rlda projects, Urban housing, Affordable housing,