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Creating Space for Seniors: How Maharashtra’s Housing Policy Supports Senior Living [2025]

by Ashiana / / 8100 views/ Reading Time: 4 minutes

As Mumbai wakes up each morning to the rhythm of honking rickshaws and brewing chai, there’s another quiet story unfolding across the state; one of change, reassurance, and thoughtful planning. Maharashtra’s Housing Policy 2025, aimed at creating senior-friendly living environments, is a strong response to one of our most urgent social shifts: aging in an increasingly individualised society.

This policy isn’t just about infrastructure. It reflects a shift in mindset, one that values the independence, comfort, and dignity of the elderly, while responding to the realities of today’s family structures.

Let’s explore the benefits of this landmark policy and how it’s set to redefine senior living in Maharashtra.

The Shift We Needed


India’s population is aging, and fast. In Maharashtra alone, seniors already make up 10% of the population, projected to rise to 17% by 2036. With nuclear families now the norm, the traditional idea of multi-generational households offering built-in care and companionship is slowly fading. Many elderly people, once the anchors of homes, now find themselves navigating solitude, fragile health, and financial uncertainty.

The government has finally responded with a blueprint designed to turn “senior housing” into more than just a real estate buzzword. It is a rethinking of how we treat those who once held our hands through life.

What Makes This Policy Special?


Let us closely look at what the policy translates into for seniors. 

1. Making Senior Living Financially Viable


One of the biggest hurdles for retirees and their families has been the cost associated with securing a safe and accessible home. Traditionally, stamp duties on property purchases ranged from 5% to 7% depending on the city or locality. For a fixed-income individual, this made purchasing senior-focused housing a distant dream.

Now, the stamp duty has been reduced to a flat ₹1,000 for senior living properties, irrespective of property value or location. This creates immediate financial relief for buyers and encourages more families to invest in thoughtful, age-appropriate housing solutions.

Additionally, property tax concessions ease the long-term financial burden. This is especially helpful for elderly homeowners who plan to live independently or move closer to healthcare or community hubs.

2. Real Incentives for Developers to Build Better


The policy introduces a host of developer-facing reforms that directly influence the quality and speed of project delivery. These include:

  • Higher Floor Space Index (FSI): This means developers can build more on the same plot, improving project viability.
  • Single-window clearance system: Approvals and paperwork are fast-tracked, reducing unnecessary delays.
  • Concessions in GST and development charges: These financial relaxations make the senior housing segment commercially attractive.

As a result, reputed real estate brands are now taking the plunge into this emerging category. The move aligns financial viability with social impact.

3. Thoughtfully Designed, Regulation-Backed Homes


A standout feature of the policy is the regulatory structure. Senior living projects are no longer treated like generic housing. Instead, they are now formally recognised under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) as a dedicated category.

Mandatory project registration under RERA ensures transparency. Moreover, oversight by a district-level Monitoring Committee strengthens accountability. This regulatory backbone guarantees that senior living homes meet the functional and safety standards that elderly residents genuinely need.

It’s not just senior citizens who benefit. Builders are being encouraged to enter the senior housing space with:

  • Higher FSI
  • Single-window clearances (read: no red tape drama)
  • Lower GST and development charges

This is a quiet invitation to the real estate sector: Build not just for profit, but with purpose.

4. Amenities That Support Ageing with Dignity


A home for a senior citizen cannot be a downsized flat with a ramp. It has to be a space that nurtures both body and mind.

Under the policy, every approved senior living project must include:

  • Nurse stations and emergency medical facilities
  • On-call doctors and quick ambulance access
  • Dedicated recreational zones for physical activity and social engagement
  • Dining halls and multipurpose common areas
  • Wide corridors, grab rails, wheelchair access, and slip-resistant flooring

This transforms the living space into a holistic support system—one that enables seniors to live independently while having help close at hand when needed.

5. Location Requirements That Prioritize Accessibility


Accessibility can make or break the utility of a senior housing project. Recognizing this, the policy mandates that:

  • Public transport options and essential medical facilities must be within a 5-km radius
  • A minimum plot size of 3,000 square meters is required for senior living development
  • Access roads must be at least 12 meters wide, ensuring smooth mobility and emergency service access

These location requirements guarantee that the elderly aren’t cut off from the city’s ecosystem, but they remain connected, supported, and safe.

6. Integrated Services Through Mandatory Partnerships


The government now requires that developers collaborate with registered NGOs, hospitals, or senior care service providers. This adds a much-needed layer of professional care and operational consistency.

These partnerships ensure:

  • Trained staff and on-site healthcare professionals
  • Meaningful community engagement activities
  • Assistance with daily routines where needed
  • Continuity in care without having to relocate

This approach helps create communities, not just buildings—spaces where seniors feel part of something larger.

Why This Matters So Deeply


Imagine a retired teacher who has spent her life shaping young minds, now living alone in a Mumbai suburb. Her children live abroad. Her knees ache more than they used to. She misses being around people who understand her pace, her music, and her memories.

This policy creates space for her, not just physically, but emotionally. It creates a community of care for people like her who don’t want to be dependent, but don’t want to be isolated either.

A Future to Look Forward To


By normalizing age-inclusive urban planning, it does something revolutionary: it puts the human need for connection, safety, and dignity at the centre of infrastructure development.

It reminds us that senior citizens aren’t just passive recipients of care. They are vibrant individuals with lives to live, friendships to forge, and stories still unfolding.

And they deserve homes that honour that.

As India’s elderly population grows, the need for communities designed with empathy becomes undeniable. Maharashtra’s Housing Policy 2025 is an encouraging shift toward inclusive urban planning where senior citizens don’t have to choose between independence and care.

If you’re considering such a space for your loved ones, or even planning ahead for your own golden years, Ashiana Senior Living offers some of the most thoughtfully built, community-driven residences across India. Known for their commitment to wellness, security, and age-appropriate design, Ashiana’s senior living projects perfectly align with the vision behind this policy.

Because aging gracefully isn’t just about the number of candles on the cake. It’s about where you light them.
Tags: senior living, real estate, ashiana housing,
Category: Retirement Homes, Senior Living,

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Who can avail the ₹1,000 stamp duty benefit?

Anyone purchasing a unit in a designated senior living project under the Housing Policy 2025 is eligible, regardless of age. However, the property must be intended for senior living use.

Families can invest, but occupancy or use is generally restricted to senior citizens aged 50 and above, as per project guidelines.

Projects are required to have nurse stations, tie-ups with nearby hospitals, on-call doctors, and emergency care infrastructure.

Check for RERA registration, district-level Monitoring Committee approval, and the developer’s partnership with a recognized care service provider.

Most senior living projects have occupancy rules in place, typically allowing only senior residents. Renting to younger tenants may not be permitted and could violate terms.

About The Author

Ashiana, Ashiana Housing build homes. Homes surrounded by vast green spaces and fresh breeze. Homes cocooned in secured gated complexes. Homes where futures are forged and there are opportunities to grow. And Homes in environments brimming with healthy activity, trust and respect. At heart, we build communities with care.

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