Peshawar   -   The rapid population increase, combined with rising property prices and inflation, has intensified housing problems for low-income groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The province requires about 2.5 million additional houses for the homeless and underprivileged, driven by Pakistan’s population surpassing 241 million this year. The demand for affordable housing in KP has reached critical levels, with an estimated 2.5 million units needed over the next 14 years if current growth rates continue.

The situation is particularly dire for salary-class and marginalized communities, who are increasingly priced out of the housing market. Despite recent economic efforts by the new government, addressing the housing shortfall remains challenging due to inadequate infrastructure, bureaucratic hurdles, and limited financial resources. Local residents express frustration over rising rents and stagnant salaries, highlighting the difficulty in saving for homeownership.

Professor Dr. Naeem Khattak, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Pakistan, noted that rapid urbanization has turned agricultural land into unplanned towns, worsening the housing crisis. He explained that globally, some governments have attempted to address housing shortages by developing areas at urban peripheries, but this approach has led to issues such as isolation from social and infrastructure networks.

In KP, the demand for new housing units grows at a rate of 600,000 per year, requiring 1.1 million units annually to address the existing backlog of 10 million houses. The housing gap in Punjab, estimated at 2.3 million units in 2017, is expected to reach 11.3 million units by 2047. In Peshawar, housing problems are exacerbated as the urban population approaches 2 million and is projected to reach 2.8 million by 2030.

The price of a five marla house in Peshawar has exceeded Rs 20 million, with rents reaching Rs 40,000, far beyond the means of average employees. Ikhtair Wali, spokesman for PML-N, criticized the PTI government for failing to fulfill its promise of constructing 5 million houses, attributing the housing problem and rising property prices to poor housing policies.

Muhammad Waqas Anjum, Director of the Provincial Housing Authority (PHA), reported that a survey under the Naya Pakistan Housing Program identified the need for 750,000 houses in KP. Various housing projects are underway, including high-rise buildings in Peshawar and Nowshera, and low-cost housing units in other districts. Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain in providing affordable housing to meet the growing demand and alleviate the housing crisis in the province.