The number of senior citizens in the country is constantly on the rise. Keeping in view the increasing number of senior citizens, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has prepared the ‘Model Guidelines for Development and Regulations of Retirement Homes’.
Apart from issuing guidelines, Centre has also decided to recognize retirement homes as a special real estate project subject to all provisions of RERA.
“The Model Guidelines for Development and Regulation of Retirement Homes shall work as a template for state governments and urban local areas and help regulate retirement homes,” Money Control quoted housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri as saying. “They will ensure ease of living for senior citizens.”
Here are the highlights of the guidelines issued by the Centre in reference to retirement homes:
- The sale of apartments in retirement homes by the promoters shall only be permitted if the retirement home has been registered under RERA and the applicable state rules.
- A promoter can build and manage the retirement homes or engage a ‘service provider’ or ‘retirement home operator’ for management of retirement homes. The guidelines also say that such service providers will be required to be registered with appropriate state authorities.
- Retirement homes should be included as a permissible building category under residential land use at a suitable location within the city, planning area in respective Master or Zonal or Local Area Plans.
- Since retirement home projects are different from conventional real estate projects and have special requirements, there should be a provision for additional FAR as an incentive and encourage financial institutions to finance such projects to encourage developers to build such projects.
- All buildings of more than one floor must be provided with lifts that are equipped to accommodate users requiring assistance and using wheelchairs.
- The projects should follow green building principles to minimize the exposure of senior citizens to fumes and exhaust arising from combustion of fossil fuels.
- The guidelines have recommended provision of basic medical, safety and security services like 24×7 on-site ambulance service, a mandatory tie-up with emergency facilities with the nearest hospitals and pharmacy, medical emergency room, regular medical check-up of residents, emergency alarm systems, trained and skilled security personnel, CCTV cameras in common areas.
- There should not be more than 12 treads in a single flight and spiral stairs should be avoided.