By Sardar Khan Niazi

Pakistan’s housing crisis is no longer a looming threat — it is here, fully formed, and reshaping the lives of millions. For a country adding roughly two million people to its cities every year, the staggering shortage of affordable, decent homes is not just a development challenge. It is a social time bomb. Yet our national response remains timid, fragmented, and far removed from the urgency the moment demands. For decades, Pakistan has treated housing as a private luxury rather than a public necessity. This has allowed land mafias, speculative real-estate developers, and unregulated densification to define the urban landscape. The result is painfully familiar: katchi abadis swelling on the margins, young families priced entirely out of the market, and cities that continue expanding without infrastructure, planning, or a coherent vision of livability. At the heart of the crisis lies a brutal truth: housing is simply unaffordable for the majority. Land prices have spiraled, construction costs have doubled, and formal financing remains out of reach for low- and middle-income households. Banks continue to treat mortgages as exotic experiments rather than essential tools. Moreover, the state — instead of steering the market — has allowed high-end gated projects to mushroom while low-income housing remains an afterthought. But housing is not just about shelter. It is about economic mobility, dignity, and opportunity. Workers cannot be productive when their commute is two hours long. Children cannot learn in overcrowded, unstable homes that flood every monsoon. Cities cannot thrive when their growth is driven not by planning but by desperation. If Pakistan truly wants to close the housing gap, it must abandon piecemeal solutions and adopt a clear, national strategy anchored on equity, resilience, and affordability. First, we need innovative financing that actually meets people where they are. Micro lending for incremental construction, rent-to-own models, credit guarantees for banks, and long-tenure mortgages designed for low-income households are essential. Without affordable finance, the dream of homeownership will remain exclusive to the wealthy. Second, land governance must be cleaned up. Digitized land records, transparent valuation, and strong regulation of speculative buying can cool the overheated market. At the same time, regularizing informal settlements and granting secure tenure will empower millions to invest in improving their homes — something they have long been willing but unable to do. Third, the state must put low-cost housing at the center of urban policy, not on the margins. This means incentivizing developers to build truly affordable units, deploying modern, cost-saving construction technologies, and ensuring new housing is linked to transport, jobs, and basic services. Fourth, resilience must be non-negotiable. The 2022 floods exposed the fragility of our housing stock. Climate-proofing low-income homes — raised foundations, durable materials, safe locations — is not charity; it is smart planning. Finally, we need governance with teeth. A national housing authority with real powers, real accountability, and the ability to coordinate across provinces could replace the current patchwork of unaligned initiatives. The housing crisis is not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices — and it can be reversed through better ones. Pakistan has the talent, the land, and the demand. What it lacks is political will. We must stop treating housing as a privilege and recognize it for what it is: the foundation of a stable, prosperous society. The longer we delay meaningful reform, the deeper the crisis will grow — and the harder it will be to pull millions out of unsafe, unaffordable living conditions. The time for half-measures is over. Pakistan must commit to a housing agenda that is bold, equitable, and unshakably focused on people — not profits.