Affordable Rental Housing Scheme (ARHC): State of Play
The Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme was introduced in July 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Urban (PMAY-U). The reverse migration brought on by the COVID pandemic-induced lockdown is what brought attention to ARHC’s mission to provide rental homes for the urban poor and migrants. The PMAY-U mission phase and the ARHC plan both end in March 2022. This article evaluates the present condition of the plan’s implementation—its evolving modalities, stakeholder participation, and current status—given its significance as India’s first national rental housing scheme with only a few months left to call for bids and award projects.