Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has highlighted the newly registered Building Act 2083 bill, saying it guarantees housing for every Nepali citizen. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Shah outlined the bill’s key provisions, from free construction materials for first-time builders to government-built homes for at-risk settlements.
The Ministry of Infrastructure Development registered the bill at the Federal Parliament Secretariat on Friday, with the stated aim of legally ensuring every citizen’s right to housing.
What the bill proposes
- Free materials for first-time builders: Nepali citizens building their first home will receive free river-borne and natural construction materials, as per government-specified type designs and standards. Citizens applying to build a goth (cowshed) will also receive free natural materials.
- Rs 75,000 housing grant: poor and destitute citizens will receive up to Rs 75,000: Rs 50,000 from the federal government and Rs 25,000 from the provincial government.
- Relocation for risky settlements: disaster-affected, unsafe and high-risk settlements will be relocated to safe locations, with the government building new houses for them.
- Smart homes for middle-income families: safe, earthquake-resistant homes meeting basic standards, costing Rs 20 to 75 lakh with 900 to 1,300 sq ft of plinth area.
- Soft loans, 5 payment options: Rs 5 lakh down payment with Rs 11,000 monthly installments for 15 years; Rs 10 lakh down with Rs 15,000/month; Rs 15 lakh down with Rs 20,000/month; Rs 20 lakh down with Rs 30,000/month; and Rs 25 lakh down with Rs 35,000/month.
Balen Shah’s Building Act 2083: Why It Matters for Nepal
Access to safe, affordable housing has long been one of Nepal’s toughest challenges. Rapid urbanisation in the Kathmandu Valley, the devastating 2015 earthquakes and recurring monsoon disasters have left thousands of families in fragile or temporary shelter. In his Facebook post, Balen Shah frames the Building Act 2083 as a direct answer to that crisis: a law that would make housing a guaranteed right rather than a privilege.
For Nepal’s construction sector, the bill’s proposals could be transformative. Free river-borne and natural materials for first-time builders, combined with government-supplied type designs, would lower the cost barrier that keeps many families from building legally and safely. The Rs 75,000 grant for poor and destitute citizens and the relocation programme for high-risk settlements address the most vulnerable households first, while the smart-home and soft-loan schemes give middle-income families a structured path to ownership.
What Happens Next
The bill has so far only been registered at the Federal Parliament Secretariat. Like any legislation, it must pass through parliamentary debate, committee scrutiny and a vote before it becomes law, a process during which its provisions may still be amended. Balen Shah’s public endorsement, however, gives the proposal significant political momentum, and housing advocates across Nepal will be watching closely to see how quickly it moves through the House.
The model house designs shared in Balen Shah’s post also deserve attention. The earthquake-resilient timber-frame concepts blend traditional Nepali architecture with modern amenities such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting, a combination that could set the template for affordable, disaster-safe housing across the country if the bill’s type-design programme adopts a similar approach.
For builders, engineers and prospective homeowners, the key details to watch are the final eligibility criteria, the government-published type designs and the rollout timeline for grants and soft loans. As Balen Shah’s proposal moves through parliament, Eve Construction will continue tracking the Building Act 2083 and what it means for housing in Nepal.
The post also shared model house designs, including earthquake-resilient timber-frame concepts blending traditional Nepali architecture with modern amenities such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting.
Source: Balen Shah’s official Facebook post, October 3, 2026.
Read our detailed breakdown: Building Act 2083: Bill Registered, Free Materials, Rs 75,000 Grant, Smart Homes