Mumbai’s ambitious plan to rehouse its slum population has hit a major roadblock, with only a quarter of the target achieved in three years. According to officials from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), just 37,560 tenements have been completed and granted occupancy between 2022 and September 2025 barely 25% of the goal to construct 1.5 lakh homes.
With less than two months remaining in the current plan period, experts warn that the long-term objective of building over five lakh tenements by 2030 may now be unattainable.The state government had identified 517 stalled rehabilitation projects in 2022 to accelerate the city’s housing deficit recovery. Of these, 45 were backed by financial institutions, but only 21 have seen developers appointed to restart work. Another 228 projects were allocated to public agencies including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), together expected to deliver 1.57 lakh homes.
Progress, however, has been sluggish. The MMRDA’s redevelopment of Ramabai Nagar in Ghatkopar remains one of the few flagship projects underway, while the BMC tasked with 77 slum clusters has had to reinvite tenders for nearly a third due to a lack of bidder interest. Officials cite procedural delays, funding shortfalls, and low private developer participation as key bottlenecks.
The SRA has also begun prioritising resettlement linked to critical infrastructure works. For instance, 327 slum households at Magathane in Borivli, which obstructed the Thane–Borivli underground tunnel alignment, were relocated. Similarly, 136 families were shifted to enable construction of the Bombay High Court complex. Authorities estimate that Mumbai’s ongoing infrastructure projects alone may require around two lakh resettlement tenements, including 50,000 earmarked by the BMC.
Urban housing experts believe the government’s strategy is overly reliant on market-driven redevelopment rather than inclusive planning. A housing policy analyst said that meeting the target would require constructing 279 units per day, an unrealistic pace given the current constraints. “True transformation will come only from slum upgradation and basic service provision, not by monetising land,” the expert added.Architects and activists have also called for independent performance reviews and stronger public sector investment.
“If cost constraints continue to stall projects, the government must fund construction directly instead of depending on private partners,” noted an urban designer.So far, the SRA has completed biometric surveys for 5.8 lakh hutments out of an estimated 13.8 lakh across Mumbai, indicating that data readiness itself remains a hurdle. Unless the current model is restructured for speed, transparency, and accountability, Mumbai’s slum rehabilitation mission risks falling well short of its promise to deliver equitable urban housing by the end of the decade.
Mumbai Achieves Only 25 Percent Slum Rehab Target Amid Housing And Funding Delays
