Britain's Department for International Development (DFID), with National Housing Bank (NHB), has launched a new affordable housing scheme in India.

The scheme intends to address the shortage in low-cost urban housing through targeted interventions and innovative funding models.

The project will involve an investment of upto £50 million (Rs 500 crore) over a seven-year period (2013-2019). Of this, £40 million (Rs 400 crore) will be given as a concessional loan to NHB to finance the construction of affordable housing units, and loans to low-income household. The remaining £10 million (Rs 100 crore) will be disbursed for technical assistance to strengthen systems and policies for the sector such as green technologies, low-cost rental housing, and the upgradation of slums.

The scheme will operate in the eight low-income states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Rajasthan will be the first state to receive funding under the programme for its ongoing initiatives to deliver affordable housing.