81 per cent of destitute people in Chennai homeless for generations

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), in collaboration with the Madras School of Social Work, recently released the final report of a city-wide homelessness survey titled 'Data for Dignity'.

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While the survey identified around 13,529 homeless individuals across 2,837 locations in Chennai, the report recommends strengthening housing policies, enhancing social protection systems, addressing structural discrimination, and fostering community engagement.

The report, calling for coordinated inter-departmental action, was handed over to chief secretary N Muruganandam and officials from at least seven departments, including GCC, and TNUHDB, on May 29. According to the report, of the total homeless population, around 51% that is 2,482 were part of family units. Moreover, a significant 80.66% of homeless population are generationally homeless noting they never had stable access to housing.

The report recommended government departments to invest in permanent housing within 2-3 km of their current locations, especially for families, who as per current practice often separated in gender-specific shelters.