A low-cost housing project has been undertaken under the joint initiative of the government and NGOs for slum dwellers and low-income people of the city. Several six-storey buildings will be built on five acres of land in Mirpur in the city. Each buildings will have several 600 square feet flats. The National Housing Authority (NHA) is now processing handover of the land at Bastuhara in Mirpur Section-11 for the experimental project. Coalition for Urban Poor (CUP), an umbrella body of some non-government organisations (NGO), will supervise construction and selling of the flats among the slum dwellers and low-income people. Nurul Islam, executive engineer of NHA Dhaka Division-1 said they have already demarcated the land and sent documents to the higher authorities for approval. NHA has asked CUP for taking possession of the land allotted for the housing scheme. Mostafa Quaium, executive director of CUP, said the steering committee on rehabilitation of slum dwellers sought 120 acres of land for rehabilitating at least 12,000 urban poor but the government provided only 5 acres. He said a tripartite lease agreement will be signed between the NHA, CUP and the fortunate slum dwellers before handover of the flats. Design of the apartments has not been finished yet.