MUSCAT: Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme has received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award in recognition of its contribution to affordable housing.
The award was presented during a World Habitat Day ceremony at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended the event as a state guest.
The provincial government said the programme has been recognised among the five leading affordable housing initiatives selected for this year’s UN-Habitat honour.
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the recognition and described it as an important achievement for Punjab and Pakistan. According to the provincial government, more than 200,000 homes have been delivered across Punjab through the programme.
The Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme was launched on August 21, 2024. It aims to help eligible residents obtain affordable housing and is planned for implementation over four and a half years.
The initiative focuses on families with limited financial resources, including people living in rented homes or informal settlements. Its objective is to help eligible households move towards home ownership through government-supported housing assistance.
The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour is presented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme to recognise notable contributions to housing and human settlements. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach welcomed Maryam Nawaz and other participants at the Muscat ceremony.
The Punjab government said the award represents international recognition of the province’s efforts in the affordable housing sector. It also said the honour belongs to the people who have benefited from the programme.
Five recipients were recognised with the Scroll of Honour this year. Along with Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme, the recipients included Htoo Way Ng of Myanmar, Thiago Baurmann Gebert of Brazil, Abdelmalek Ghanem of Tunisia and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
