Occupants of 96 dilapidated buildings unsure about MHADA’s offer of Rs 20,000 per month in exchange for shifting into new homes. While the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has decided to provide monthly rent of Rs 20,000 to tenants and residents of 96 buildings it declared dilapidated on May 21
Baldota House, a dilapidated structure in Matunga East. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
While the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has decided to provide monthly rent of Rs 20,000 to tenants and residents of 96 buildings it declared dilapidated on May 21, the occupants have expressed scepticism regarding the monetary support.
“The redevelopment process is a lengthy one, and we are not sure if the authorities will provide this rent till we gain possession of our redeveloped homes,” said Bipin Panchal, a resident of Mancharam Niwas in Girgaon. Many of these buildings had received notices from April to May, stating that the residents had to vacate their respective flats in three months. Initially, the reactions from the residents were of disapproval, as many had been staying in these structures for more than 10 years, and were facing difficulties in finding a house within budget in the same area.
“We have been living in this building for 41 years. Our whole life is centred on it. How can we instantly move out? My son’s school is nearby,” said a resident of Siddha Niwas, a 93-year-old building in Dadar East.
The building’s occupants were served a warning/general vacation notice on May 21. In 1982, the structure was renovated and a third and fourth floor were added, making half the structure 43 years old.
Kubal Niwas, in Dadar West
Residents of Siddha Niwas and many other structures on the MHADA list complain that they have not been able to contact the owners of their buildings, as they live abroad. The announcement of the proposed disbursal of R20,000 in rent has also sparked confusion. “I understand the intent behind them [MHADA] offering money, but how long will they do that. If we believe them and leave, and in a few months the money stops coming in, it will result in a big financial burden on us,” said the Siddha Niwas resident.
Nobody home
Some of the 96 dilapidated buildings, such as Kirti Kunj on Deodhar Road in Matunga East, have already been abandoned. Residents of neighbouring buildings told mid-day that the structure received a warning/general vacation notice on April 30, less than a year after receiving its first such notice, on October 9, 2024, after which all residents had left. With stairs that have already been removed, the building, apart from the ground floor, cannot be accessed. There is also pizza shop in the parking area.
Deepa Dandekar, resident of Kubal Niwas; (right) Swati Bhair, a resident of Baldota House
‘How will I find a new home?’
Siddha Niwas and Kubal Niwas, also in Dadar, house only two families each. Deepa Dandekar, a resident of the latter building, is a retired police officer. She has been living in the structure, which was served a warning/general vacation notice on April 25, for over 40 years. “I don’t want to move out of this building. I know this area like the back of my hand, but now that they have sent this notice, my children don’t want me to live here. How will I go around looking for a new house at this age? The only good thing is that they are ready to help us monetarily; without that, it will be almost impossible to find a home,” she said.
Though many of the residents of these buildings are ready to vacate their homes, they are holding on due to inconsistent responses from landlords and the absence of a timeline pertaining to redevelopment and MHADA's financial assistance.
Families living in Baldota House in Matunga East have been asking their landlord to opt for redevelopment, but the pleas have apparently fallen on deaf ears. “We are in favour of redevelopment; our landlord has not given us any response, which is not only causing issues for us but also the adjacent building. If he cooperates with us and we go ahead with the redevelopment, the rent provision that MHADA has announced will be of great help,” said Swati Bhair, a Baldota House resident.
Abhijeet Tripathi, another occupant of Baldota House, alleged the redevelopment process had seen many hurdles because of the landlord. “Residents are in favour of redevelopment, and we have been reiterating this since we learnt that such a notice would be served,” he said. A neighbour of Tripathi, said, “Even before MHADA had announced the provision of R20,000 per month, we were ready to move out. We are all financially stable enough to do so. But if we try to get a house whose rent is higher than Rs 20,000 and the money stops coming in after a few months, we will be in trouble.”
Another fear among the residents is that their household budgetary planning will be disrupted. “I agree that the monetary proposal is helpful, and in case we find a house that is borderline in our budget, the money from authorities would help cover the portions, but because we don’t know till when they will continue to support us, we are scared of taking a decision. In case we move out and they stop paying rent all of a sudden, we would face a serious cash crunch,” said the Siddha Niwas resident.
Queries sent by mid-day to MHADA went unanswered till press time.
May 21
Day MHADA put out list of dilapidated buildings
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