86 per cent of homeless covered in Chennai corporation survey were unaware of shelter schemes

CHENNAI: Nearly seven months after the Chennai corporation carried out a third-party survey to identify homeless individuals, there has been no follow up action, a rapid assessment on the access to shelters and housing by the Information & Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities, said ahead of World Homeless Day on Friday. The report follows a survey of 212 individuals and 256 families living in streets in 18 locations in the city. Of them, 86% of those surveyed pointed out that they were not aware of the shelter schemes, and that they have never been contacted by the civic body staff. Around 14% said they were visited by corporation officials three months ago but there were no follow-up visits. The report further said 48% of people living in streets were found to be sleeping without any cover, leaving them exposed to rain and dampness, leading to severe health risks. It also increases the danger of losing personal belongings and facing unsafe sleeping conditions due to water stagnation, the report said. Due to lack of awareness, only 8% of the individuals in streets are willing to use the shelters due to fear of losing their work and freedom. They also fear they would be forcibly reunited with their families if they accessed shelters. The report suggested efforts for providing permanent housing must be taken up on a priority basis, especially for families who have been left out of the existing housing processes.