Friday, April 27, 2018

Affordability of affordable housing

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there."
—Josh Billings (American, 1818-1885)
Word for the day
Velitation (n)
A minor dispute or contest.
Malice towards none
Heard a senior socialist leader from UP claiming — "Now only Rahul Gandhi stands between Modi and defeat in 2019"!
 
First random thought this morning
After terrorism, now rapes in India also have a distinct religious and caste identities. Rapists are identified as Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Saint Maulavi, Pastor etc. and victims (or as fashionably called survivors now a days) are identified as SC/ST, Dalit, North Eastern, etc.
The two pillars of democracy (Politicians and Media) are surely and fast degenerating. The confidence in the third support pillar (Judiciary) is also at its Nadir, with the voices of severe criticism coming from within. It is for the Executive now to take all the burden on itself and save country from slithering into the world of chaos.

Affordability of affordable housing

Across the world, housing is one of the key drivers of economic growth. In the high growth phase of Indian economy between 2004-2009, housing did play a major role. Nonetheless, affordability has remained a key constraint in growth of housing sector.
Many analysts, including CLAS Greed & Fear, have suggested in their recent reports that affordability factor may be coming back to 2003-04 levels in Indian housing market.
Latest issue of Greed & Fear reads that the best stories to invest in in India remain the affordable housing story and the dramatic, albeit healthy, consolidation of the residential property market triggered by the “double whammy” of the Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) (implemented from May 2017) and demonetisation."
As per the report, the residential property market in India has begun to pick up, "after years of oversupply, helped by dramatically improved affordability." As per CLSA estimates, the mortgage payment to post-tax income ratio has declined from 56% in FY07 to an estimated 31% in FY18, the lowest level since FY04."


There is no doubt that compliance led disruptions, and raw material constraints (especially sand) have resulted in lower supply at a time when the government is pushing the affordable housing segment investment hard. On aggregate basis therefore the net new sales are outpacing net new supply (including new launches and delivery), and lower inventory of built up and under construction houses.
It would however be totally wrong to conclude that housing sector has turned around and is ready to play a leadership role in faster  and sustainable economic growth.
The affordability statistics presented by equity analysts is based on the data for actual borrowers from the banks. This data though useful may not be (a) a good representative sample of the economy; and (b) may not address the issue of affordability holistically.
The banks and housing finance companies have materially tightened the lending norms in past few years. They are now seeking much more margin of safety from borrowers. Lower mortgage payment to post-tax income ration may to some extent may be influenced by these stringent criteria.
Moreover, interest subsidy by the government for lower price houses may also be aiding to lower ratio, as interest subvention reduces the mortgage payment for individual borrowers.
But the large issue is the notion of affordability itself.
Measuring affordability only in terms of capacity to pay mortgage is structurally flawed.
A housing unit built 50kms from the city center, with negligible social infrastructure in the vicinity remains mostly unaffordable for the intended beneficiaries as the family has to travel long distances for job, schooling, health services etc.
Most of the affordable housing projects so far have failed to address the issue of affordability in a holistic manner. (Though in recent times, government has indicated that they mat redevelop government, port and railways land within the cities for affordable housing purposes, not much progress could be seen so far on the ground.)
Lower mortgage payments mean nothing if the house owner has to spend significantly higher on travel and other social services.

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