The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing
In response to a question on housing needs in Kolonnawa, the Minister stated that 1,035 homeless families had been identified and that the National Housing Development Authority is implementing a nationwide programme to provide 3,000 houses to low-income families in 2025, including eligible families in the Kolonnawa DS Division. He outlined existing loan and assistance schemes, including “Sevabhimani,” “Semata Nivahana,” and phased grants of up to Rs. 3 million for the poorest households, and noted that flats under “Sanhinda Sevana” and “Laksanda Sevana” have already been occupied by estate-related communities. He also said discussions are ongoing under the Kolonnawa Flood Mitigation Project, chaired by the Prime Minister, to provide housing for flood-affected families.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 (a) (i) 1,035 homeless families.
¶ 02 (ii) The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) is implementing three main projects. In 2025, 3,000 houses will be provided to homeless low-income families island-wide. Under this, eligible families in the Kolonnawa DS Division are also covered. In addition, two loan schemes are in operation to provide housing loans. For estate-related communities, flats under “Sanhinda Sevana” (696 units) and “Laksanda Sevana” (1,008 units) have been constructed and occupied.
¶ 03 Further, under the Kolonnawa Flood Mitigation Project, discussions chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister are ongoing. A proposal and plan exist to provide housing for those affected by floods, and some activities are underway. The NHDA program is nationwide.
¶ 04 (iii) Loan schemes include “Sevabhimani” for public servants; “Semata Nivahana” for low- and middle-income households; and a separate program for the poorest with grants up to Rs. 3 million provided in phases.
¶ 05 (iv) Commenced from 2025.
¶ 06 (b) Not applicable.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 20 June 2025 ·No. 1751600792021434 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 June 2025. No. 1751600792021434. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/1834