Expert panel to review and revive stalled housing projects

Thursday, 23 April 2026 05:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved the appointment of an expert committee to assess and revive thousands of stalled housing projects implemented under the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA).

Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 2,562 housing projects were planned, targeting the construction of 64,407 housing units. These included 1,138 villages under housing assistance schemes, 1,334 villages financed through beneficiary loan programmes, and 90 villages supported by the Government of India.

However, progress has been significantly below expectations. Only 386 villages have been completed and declared open, with just 10,532 housing units delivered to date.

Authorities estimate that an additional Rs. 11.26 billion will be required to complete the remaining units.

“The committee is expected to recommend measures to better target low-income families with genuine housing needs, accelerate the completion of stalled developments, facilitate beneficiary resettlement, and establish a more effective system for recovering housing loans,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

The move is aimed at improving delivery efficiency and ensuring that long-delayed housing assistance reaches intended

beneficiaries.