"We have decided to develop such a housing project for the lower income group. The Planning Wing is looking for suitable site in the area to launch the project," said CDA Member Planning Tahir Shamshad told APP.

He said the decision to launch such a project was made when the CDA Board Okayed the Park Enclave project that is purely meant to facilitate the elite class society where one kanal plot has been offered at Rs 12 million.

The upcoming housing project would also be located in Zone-IV because the major chunk of land in the area is under CDA occupation as it has already been occupied.

Shamshad, who heads the planning wing, said once it is launched, the CDA would try its best to develop the housing colony for lower income group that would surely help rectify the CDA's image that could not develop any residential sector for long.

He said the new housing colony will be located in the same area of Zone-IV where the government has recently allowed housing activity that was previously banned on the pretext of being preserved as National Park Area.

He said the CDA is expecting Rs 4 billion from Park Enclave during current fiscal year that would help finance the development of upcoming housing project.

As the land in whole area is under CDA's possession, it is hopeful to accomplish the project successfully and hand over the possession to allottees in the prescribed time period.

The project accommodate thousands of the families awaiting to have their own shelter in the city of elite as it would cover far more area than park Enclave that covers 167 acres and would house 700 families.

The head of planning wing said the CDA is already refunding the submitted amount to the applicants of sector I-15 and that they may also apply for the upcoming project as it is exclusively meant for small income group.

The CDA is in the process of the developing eight sectors for residential purpose but due to one or the other reason, the development activity has been stalled.

The population of Islamabad has swelled to 1.3 million and the estimated housing requirement stands at 200,000 according to the set parameter of 6.5 persons per household.

Currently, 125,000 housing units are available in the city showing the shortfall of 75,000 housing units in the capital city that can be mitigated only if the CDA adopts need-oriented housing policy to provide affordable shelter to homeless persons.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011