Highlighting that there was much to be done to ensure safe and healthy living for homeless persons, experts at an inter-state meeting here deliberated a plethora of issues that were plaguing the destitute.
At the two-day meeting on ‘shelters for urban homeless’ that began here on Friday, experts from associations and NGOs working in various States for the cause discussed issues such as finding shelter for the homeless in big cities, running those with lower budget, coordinating with the government and NGOs, providing healthcare and providing them with means of livelihood among others.
The interactive programme aiming at exchanging experiences and strategies is being organised under the aegis of Housing and Land Rights Network (HRNV), New Delhi. Representatives from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai participated with Association for Urban Tribal Development (AUTD) hosting the two-day meeting. It will be followed by more rounds in Chennai and later in New Delhi. Feedback will be shared with the HRNV.
Ground reality
The magnitude of the task and seriousness seemed to be of a tall order in Mumbai, said founder president of ‘Pehchan’, Brijesh Arya. “The official figures have put the homeless at 57,416. But, the number could be as high as 3 lakh. Homeless persons have been living in Mumbai since generations. A majority of them are from Maharahstra and Gujarat,” he said, adding that nine shelters were being run accommodating 234 after he had filed a public interest litigation.
Mansoor Khan of Shahri Adhikar Manch, New Delhi, was of the view that NGOs’ role should be confined to identifying the homeless while monitoring and running the shelters should be done by the government. He estimated that the number of homeless in Delhi could be as high as 1.5 lakh while the shelters had a capacity of 20,000.
Gitanjali Prasad of ‘Aman Baradari’, Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi, said only one in every 10 homeless persons was accommodated even as the existing centres’ potential was not fully utilised.
Despite the best hospitals, the homeless people were suffering from TB, HIV, AIDS or other serious ailments, she pointed out.
Leena Patil from Mumbai said a helpline to help get benefits such as ration cards and work was being set up.
Social audit sought
Former Union Energy Secretary E.A.S. Sarma suggested that the best practices should be identified to deal with issues such as low budget, abuse at shelter homes. “An independent social audit by reputed institutions such as Tata Institute of Social Sciences should be carried out. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh seems to have better institutions framework,” he said.
AUTD secretary Pragada Vasu said that with the intervention of former Chief Secretary I.Y.R Krishna Rao following a letter by Mr. Sarma, committees involving NGOs and municipal officials were formed at various levels to identify the homeless.
Vasu said: “After a struggle for five years, around 50,000 homeless are now living in 55 shelters in Andhra Pradesh. The budgets for a shelter home with a capacity of 50 inmates seems to vary from ₹4 lakh a year in Andhra Pradesh to ₹10 lakh in Tamil Nadu.”
Chennai shows the way
In contrast to other cities, Chennai has fewer homeless and the shelters are run in a more organised manner with support from officials and several quarters, said M. Charles of the Empower Academy that runs five shelters.
“Around 3000 homeless are accommodated in 48 shelters, each with a capacity of 50. In the Zone I, I made a field verification and found only 50 homeless. If the number in Avadi and Tiruvallur is included, it could be higher,” he pointed out.
Mr. Charles said he had been pursuing the idea of generating a corpus through funds from various organisations, in association with municipal officials, to meet the needs of the shelter homes. Doctors from a private hospital, accompanied by a pharmacist, visited a few shelters and provided medicines to the patients, he added.