Ahmedabad: For many residents of ageing housing societies, redevelopment was supposed to mean a bigger home, better amenities, and safer buildings. Instead, for a growing number of families, it has meant paying rent for months, watching projects remain stuck, and waiting for work that has yet to begin. Across Ahmedabad, redevelopment projects are slowing as weak housing demand, rising construction costs, and disagreements among society members make builders increasingly reluctant to commit until all approvals are in place.One such project near Parimal Garden shows how quickly plans can unravel. Two housing societies reached an understanding with a developer around three years ago, but differences among a section of members meant the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was never signed.Rajkumar Bhakkad, secretary of one of the societies, said many families vacated their homes after the builder assured them redevelopment would start soon. “We shifted to rented houses because we were told the project would begin. The builder paid our rent for about a year. But when some members did not agree to the redevelopment, the builder walked away,” he said.“For more than a year now, we have been paying rent ourselves while our society remains vacant.”The societies are now negotiating with another developer, but the terms have become tougher. “The new builder says he will start paying rent only after every member signs and the project gets RERA registration,” Bhukkad said.Developers say such caution has become the norm. Jitendra Shah, president of the Urban Redevelopment Housing Society Welfare Association, said redevelopment continues to hold huge promise for Ahmedabad, but current market conditions have slowed progress. “The potential for redevelopment is enormous, but several challenges are delaying projects today,” he said.According to Shah, at least 20 housing societies signed redevelopment MoUs more than a year ago, yet construction has still not started. “The members are waiting for work to begin,” he said.He added that weak market conditions have also made it difficult for some developers to keep paying rent to families who have already vacated their homes. “There have been cases where builders have struggled to pay rent because apartment sales are slow,” Shah said. “Societies should first ensure complete consensus and choose builders with a proven track record.”According to the association, more than 500 housing societies in Ahmedabad have either completed redevelopment, are under construction, or have signed redevelopment agreements. Discussions are underway in another 400 societies.Developers say the slowdown in apartment sales has further tightened finances. Industry sources estimate that completed redevelopment projects are carrying at least 20% unsold inventory, reducing cash flow and making it harder for developers to fund construction and rent payments.Developer Kartik Soni said redevelopment calculations have changed significantly. “Construction costs have increased sharply. Projects that were financially viable a few years ago need to be reassessed today,” he said.He added, “If societies take too long to make a decision, builders start exploring other projects.”He also suggested introducing a standard operating procedure for projects where an overwhelming majority of members are willing to proceed. “If 75% of members agree, there should be a clear SOP for redevelopment,” he said.
