The Chandigarh Housing Board, a Chandigarh Administration undertaking, was established in the year 1976 by extending the Haryana Housing Board Act, 1971 to the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The primary objective of the Board is to provide reasonably priced, good quality housing for the shelterless persons residing in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Right from the beginning, the Board has focused upon the construction and allotment of houses for the less affluent sections of society on hire-purchase basis. Till March 2009, the Chandigarh Housing Board has constructed a total of 45969 houses of various categories (Details). It has been estimated that about 25% of the population of Chandigarh is living in CHB houses. Over time, the Board has maintained a reputation for providing well designed houses with good quality of construction at prices much lower than the market. This is probably why CHB schemes are much awaited and obtain an excellent response from the public.