NEW DELHI - With the country's urban population growing up to 3.8 per cent annually due to higher birth rate as compared to death rate and migration from rural areas, urban areas will be short of an estimated 26.53 million dwelling units by 2012.

"A technical group constituted by the ministry in 2006 for assessment of urban housing shortage at the end of the 10th Five Year Plan, the total housing shortage in the country is 24.71 million," Union minister for housing and urban poverty alleviation, Ms Selja informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Thursday.

"Further, additional requirement of 1.82 million dwelling units has been projected for the 11th Plan, bringing the total housing requirements during the plan period (ending in 2012) to 26.53 million dwelling units," she added.

The number of jobs created in urban areas during 1991-2001 is 19.3 million as compared to 5 million jobs created in rural areas. "This has led to gaps of demand and supply of housing units in urban areas and shortage of housing, particularly for urban poor," the minister said Underlying that it is "primarily" the responsibility of state governments to provide for adequate shelter, Ms Selja said the Union government, however, has formulated the first urban area-focused National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007 to set in motion a process to provide affordable housing for all, particularly economically weaker sections and low income groups.

This policy seeks to reserve 10 to 15 per cent of land in every new housing project or 20 to 25 per cent of floor area ratio for economically weaker sections. It also seeks to give primacy to provision of shelter to urban poor at their at or near present location.