The Urban Development Authority

From the last few decades, housing sector in Sri Lanka has taken a new turn mainly because of the demand created by the fast expanding ‘Middle Class’ of the society. The changes in the employment pattern and the lifestyles associated with them, declining quality and reliability of the public transportation systems, urge for children’s’ admission to popular schools, etc., have all resulted in a need among these Middle Class families to find shelter within close proximities to urban centres.

This situation in turn, increased the demand for lands both within main cities, specially Colombo, and its immediate surroundings. Yet, since the extents of readily developable lands are often limited, high density intensified development has mostly become a necessity, rather than a choice. Even though the high density, compact developments generally provide several benefits towards sustainable urban development, such densities need to be supported with adequate physical infrastructure such as the access roads, pipe borne water supply, sewerage disposal, storm water drainage, etc, which have to be provided with heavy upfront investments and at a cost to the developments.

The prevalent mainstream housing delivery process in Sri Lanka is lead the private sector while the state sector agencies such as the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Local Authorities (LAs) play facilitators’ roles, leaving the supply devices to be guided by the market forces. The market forces driven process has left a large majority of the Middle Income group, specially the lower-middle income segments of the society, away from the mainstream process. The intervention of the state sector agencies therefore, is a timely requirement to assure an inclusive housing delivery process.

Further, the survey conducted by the Housing Development Authority focusing on the city of Colombo has identified the need for 42,000 middle income housing units (Source: Housing Needs Assessment and Data Survey - 2016) Forecasts show that the demand for housing is increasing rapidly.

Since the said demand is in urban areas and their immediate surroundings, housing developments generate a sizeable impact on the urban areas, urban spaces, utilities, facilities and amenities and the overall quality of life of the inhabitants. In that light the UDA intends to introduce a general policy guideline towards a regulated ‘high density’ housing development for all urban areas in Sri Lanka, but with an emphasis on the city of Colombo, Colombo Metro region, Kandy, Rathnapura, Anuradhapura and other major urban areas.

Project objective

Breaking barriers to access for housing for middle income group and also to lobbing for middle income group to live in urban area with granting easy access to job destination.

Present situation

Consequently, UDA identified the potential lands which are more suitable for the residential apartments considering the easy accessibility, friendly environment and the easy access to the physical and social infrastructure facilities. By the way as initiating this programme, it was started the Oval view apartment at Pelangasthuduwa, Borella as first project consisting 608 no of housing units aiming Government sector employees in an affordable price.

To continue this Middle income housing programme UDA identified several lands with & within the suburbs of Colombo considering the demand of the same category & now those project are in several stages of the under construction.

Upper Middle-Income Housing Projects

Consequently, UDA identified the most valuable lands which are more suitable for the residential apartments considering the easy accessibility, friendly environment and the easy access to the physical and social infrastructure facilities. By the way as initiating this programme, it was started the Elite Place apartment at Borella as first project consisting 400 no of housing units aiming Upper middle-income category.

Affordable Housing programme

The Government experienced that the middle income level category housing is not enough to cater the actual housing requirement of the people. Therefore, Government identified the different platforms of housing requirement as follows with the capacity of the people to afford to housing with their income level.

According to the direction of the “National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendors” with the support of Government UDA initiated the programme to construct the affordable housing programme to achieve the above requirement.

View Our Housing Projects

Who are qualifying to apply : Depend on the Project
Procedure for applying : After advertised/published on the relevant media
Unit prices of a housing unit :

Oval View, Borella - Rs.8.5 Mn- 11Mn (Sold Out)
Lake Crest, Angoda - Rs.3.8 Mn- 4.7Mn (Sold Out)
Viyathpura, Weera Mw – Rs 15.7 Mn – 20 Mn
Green Arcade, Kottawa – Rs 17.77 Mn – 22.50 Mn
Affordable Projects – Reservation in process

Completed Middle income housing projects

Sold Out