PMAY-U Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)

What is PMAY-U Affordable Housing in Partnership?

Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) is one of the verticals of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U), the urban housing mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. AHP is the vertical for urban families who do not own land; instead of funding you to build a house, the government partners with a public agency or a private developer to build flats and sells them to eligible families at a reduced price.

According to the PMAY-Urban portal, AHP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, so the cost is shared between the Centre and the state. Under PMAY-U 1.0 the central assistance was Rs 1.5 lakh per EWS house, and projects had to have a minimum of 250 houses with at least 35% of units reserved for the EWS category. Under PMAY-U 2.0, which runs from 2024 to 2029, the PMAY-U 2.0 FAQ puts total government assistance for AHP and BLC at up to Rs 2.5 lakh per unit, a central share of Rs 1.5 lakh in most states, Rs 2.25 lakh in North Eastern and special category states and Union Territories, with the state government contributing the rest.

The beneficiary of an AHP project receives a finished flat, not a cash transfer.

Main features

• Projects are built by state governments, urban local bodies, parastatal agencies, or private developers in partnership with them.
• Under PMAY-U 2.0 the house has a carpet area of 30 sqm to 45 sqm, with two rooms, a kitchen and a toilet/bathroom in durable materials.
• Government assistance is set against the unit cost, so you pay a reduced price.
• Preference goes to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, SC, ST, OBC, minorities, single women, transgender persons and other vulnerable groups.

Who is eligible for AHP, and who is not eligible?

You can apply if:

• Your family's annual household income is up to Rs 3 lakh, the EWS threshold. (LIG and MIG families are served by the Interest Subsidy Scheme vertical instead.)
• No member of your family. You, your spouse or your unmarried children, owns a pucca house anywhere in India.
• Your family has not previously taken central assistance under any housing scheme of the Government of India.
• You live in, or the house is in, a town or city covered under PMAY-U.
• Aadhaar of every family member is available and you can complete Aadhaar-based eKYC.

You are not eligible if:

• Any family member already owns a pucca house in any part of India, including in a village or another state.
• Your family has already received central housing assistance — under PMAY-Gramin, a previous PMAY-U vertical, or an earlier scheme. Central housing assistance is a once-in-a-lifetime benefit per family.
• Your household income is above the EWS ceiling for AHP.
• You want a second house, a commercial property or a plot rather than a dwelling unit for your own use.

Note that owning vacant land does not disqualify you from AHP, though a landowning family will usually be better served by the Beneficiary Led Construction vertical.

What documents are required for AHP?

How to apply for PMAY-U AHP

1. Check the eligibility conditions, annual household income up to Rs 3 lakh for EWS, no pucca house owned anywhere in India by any family member, and no earlier central housing assistance.
2. Go to the official application portal at pmaymis.gov.in and open the PMAY-U 2.0 section. If you prefer offline help, visit a Common Service Centre or your Urban Local Body / municipality office.
3. Complete Aadhaar-based eKYC for the applicant, then enter the Aadhaar details of your spouse and unmarried children.
4. Fill the application form with your address, annual household income, bank account details and family details, and choose the AHP vertical or the vertical the portal recommends for your circumstances.
5. Upload the supporting documents: income proof, bank passbook and any priority-category certificate.
6. Submit the form and save the application number displayed on screen. You will need it to track status.
7. Wait for Urban Local Body verification. The ULB checks your documents and your no-pucca-house declaration, and forwards eligible cases to the state for inclusion in the AHP project beneficiary list.
8. Attend the allotment draw if your city holds one. Where applications exceed available units, allotment is normally by lottery, with reservations for priority groups applied first.
9. Pay the beneficiary share in the instalments notified by the implementing agency, and take possession when the project is completed.

Track your application any time using Track Assessment Status or the beneficiary search on pmaymis.gov.in.

How much do you actually pay for an AHP flat?

Government assistance under AHP reduces the price of the flat; it does not make it free. Under PMAY-U 2.0, up to Rs 2.5 lakh per unit of combined central and state assistance is set against the cost, and the beneficiary pays the balance. The exact price varies from city to city because land and construction costs vary, and because some states add their own subsidy on top.

You may take a home loan for the balance. If your annual household income is up to Rs 9 lakh, you may separately be eligible for the Interest Subsidy Scheme vertical of PMAY-U 2.0, which gives central assistance of up to Rs 1.80 lakh on the loan in five yearly instalments, but not in combination with a second housing grant for the same family.

AHP compared with the other PMAY-U verticals

Progress under PMAY-Urban

According to the mission dashboard, PMAY-Urban has sanctioned about 172.72 lakh houses, of which roughly 121.15 lakh have been grounded for construction and 99.25 lakh completed. Central assistance of about Rs 2.12 lakh crore has been committed and roughly Rs 1.81 lakh crore released, against total investment of about Rs 8.96 lakh crore. AHP is one of the largest contributors to the completed-house count in cities where land is scarce.

Where to get help with AHP

• PMAY-U helpline: 011-23060484, 011-23063620
• Email: pmayumis-support@gov.in
• Portals: pmay-urban.gov.in for scheme information, pmaymis.gov.in to apply and to search the beneficiary list
• Urban Local Body or municipality office for verification, the project list in your city and allotment queries
• Mobile apps: PMAY Urban App and BharatHFA for status tracking

Applying is free. A Common Service Centre may charge only the notified assistance fee. No builder, broker or agent can charge you for a place on the beneficiary list.