Apni Chhat Apna Ghar: Punjab's interest-free housing loan, who qualifies

Apni Chhat Apna Ghar is the Punjab government’s interest-free loan for low-income families who own a small plot and want to build a house on it. The full loan is up to Rs 15 lakh, repaid at Rs 14,000 a month over about nine years. You qualify if you live in Punjab, own a plot of up to 5 marla in a city or 10 marla in a village, and have no loan default. You apply online at acag.punjab.gov.pk.

The official sites didn’t open for us on 17 October 2026, so the portal details here are from its Internet Archive copy of May 2026 and the other figures carry the date of the news report or statement they come from.

How much is the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar loan?

As of August 2026 the portal offered two kinds of loan (ARY News).

There is no interest on either loan: you pay back only what you borrowed. Aaj News reported in December 2024 that the full loan is paid out in two instalments, and repayments start three months after you get the money.

The repair loans were added in July 2026. Pakistan Today reported Rs 5 lakh to repair or strengthen a house with a weak roof and Rs 10 lakh to build an extra storey.

Paying it off early

The portal’s May 2026 archive copy offers a rebate if you repay the whole loan early. You get 20% off the remaining principal if you clear it within 1 to 3 years, and 10% within 4 to 6 years.

Who is eligible for Apni Chhat Apna Ghar?

ARY News listed these conditions in August 2026:

• You are a permanent resident of Punjab with a valid CNIC.
• You own a residential plot of up to 5 marla in an urban area or up to 10 marla in a rural area.
• You are 21 to 60 years old when you apply.
• You have no loan default with any bank or financial institution.
• You have not been convicted of a serious crime.
• You agree to have your records checked through NADRA and the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA).

At launch in 2024 there were two more conditions: you had to be the head of the family in NADRA’s records, and your household had to be registered in the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) with a poverty score (PMT) of 60 or less (Zameen.com). ARY’s 2026 list doesn’t mention them, and we couldn’t open the official eligibility page to check, so keep your NSER details ready.

Not sure how big your plot is? See our marla to square feet converter.

How do I apply online?

You need:

• your CNIC
• proof that you own the plot: the fard, the land-record extract from PLRA
• photographs of the existing house

If you can’t apply from home, help desks are at every Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner office and at PHATA’s regional offices. The toll-free helpline is 0800-09100.

How do I check my application status?

Log in at acag.punjab.gov.pk with the account you registered. The Application Status page shows your application ID, your status and the microfinance institution chosen to handle your loan. Akhuwat, NRSP and RCDP were the lenders named in December 2024. In July 2025 ARY News reported that Bank of Punjab would manage the programme’s housing finance for 2025-26.

As of May 2026 (archive copy), PHATA’s office numbers were 042-99213419 and 042-99213428.

Is Apni Chhat Apna Ghar still open in 2026?

Yes. The portal was taking applications for both loans in August 2026, and we found no official closing date. At the end of August 2026 the government doubled this year’s lending target because of the number of applications (Daily Qudrat).

On 16 October 2026 the housing minister said 217,000+ families had received loans. Lahore Times reported the same day that 126,239 houses were finished and 57,910 more were nearly done. The target is more than 300,000 families by June 2027, about one in five of the 1.53 million applications so far.

Is this the same as the federal Apna Ghar scheme?

No. The federal Apna Ghar Program is a bank loan at 5% (as of March 2026) for first-time home owners anywhere in Pakistan. Apni Chhat Apna Ghar is Punjab-only, interest-free, and only for families who already own a small plot.

If you earn enough for a normal bank loan, compare banks in our home loan guide.

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