Housing mortgage finance in India is constrained by the maximum loan-to-cost ratio and installment income ratio conditions imposed by housing finance companies. The typical reason for this behaviour is that the market for the sharing of risk in mortgage lending is not yet fully developed....

Housing policy formulation should be informed by a careful understanding of the behaviour of the housing market, as reflected by housing demand. Such basic information is important, not only for improved project design but also for the development of better sector-wide policies. Housing is a...