A severe violation of human dignity, homelessness has emerged as a matter of global concern. In the 58th Commission of United Nations Commission for Social Development, for the first time, a United Nations resolution on homelessness was written.
1.6 billion people live in inadequate living conditions around the globe. According to UN Habitat, around 15 million people are forcefully evicted every year.
Homelessness indicates the failure of the state to provide safe, adequate and affordable housing for all. It causes several thousand preventable and premature deaths every year.
Homelessness is stigmatized in our society, and is often associated with criminalization and violence, aggressive policies. They are often subjected to discrimination on the basis of their housing status or because of a lack of an official address.
According to Leilani Farha’s report to the UN Human Rights Council, described homelessness as “serious deprivation of access to housing and as an extreme form of social exclusion, discrimination and loss of dignity.”
The absence of privacy, security, and sanitation facilities add to the woes of women. Furthermore, youth is more vulnerable to indulge in criminal activities and drug addictions.
Definition
Homelessness could be defined as not having stable, safe, and adequate housing, and on top of that, not even having any means to obtain it.
Having said that, there is no concrete definition available for homelessness. Nevertheless, different countries, international agencies, or researchers have adopted different definitions of homelessness on the basis of region, language, cultural norms, and socioeconomic conditions.
Homelessness can be of three types:
Chronic homelessness: individuals who have been homeless for a long time and are unemployed.
Episodic homelessness: individuals that frequently move in and out of homes because of mental illness, health issues, violence, and unemployment.
Transitional homelessness: individuals who have become homeless because of some catastrophic event.
Causes of homelessness
Lack of affordable housing: people belonging to low-income strata often are unable to earn enough to buy/rent affordable housing.
Population of urban centers: where population growth has outpaced the housing stock. Therefore, the cost of housing has increased so much, that a major segment of our society is unable to afford it; as a result, people have no other option but to live in cramped areas or on the streets.
Rapid urbanization has increased the pace of migration within a state. In metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai Chennai, etc., unplanned and rapid urbanization has led to 1/5 of the urban residents residing in marginalized spaces.
There are numerous causes of eviction like illegal activity, damage to the property, unable to pay the rent, etc. Having extra guests to noise complaints can constitute a lease violation in countries like the United States and Hong Kong. Although, not all evictions lead to homelessness.
Mental illness can lead to homelessness. In some cases, the abandonment of such patients triggers homelessness. Homelessness is often triggered by violence against women and children.
According to UNHRC ’s report on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination and violence found that LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide are at high risk for discrimination in access to housing due to familial rejection, discrimination by private landlords, and evictions from public housing.
Homelessness and the pandemic
COVID-19 outbreaks in shelter homes have forced more and more people to sleep on the rough side of bridges, streets or vehicles. In India, 1.7 million homeless people were disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to their vulnerability. The notion of “stay home – stay safe” does not seem applicable to homeless individuals.
In Delhi, an estimated 150000 to 200000 people live in informal settlements, of whom 10,000 are women, according to the advocacy group Housing and Lands Rights Network.
During the non- pandemic period, many homeless women in India are exposed to physical and sexual violence and human trafficking. COVID has made it even more difficult, as entry into shelters was denied to maintain the “social distancing”, while authorities were evicting homeless people from the streets.
The Indo Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), has found that 83% of homeless individuals in states lack access to sanitation, health care, and shelters.
However, the UN had urged central and regional governments to take appropriate measures to provide secure housing rights to all. However, recent findings have shown that people who reside on the streets barely managed to get a single meal, as there was no means to earn and food distribution mechanisms came into being after a few days.
The sudden lockdown has caused unrest and panic among migrant laborers.
Year- round weather extremes
20 billion inhabitants are accustomed to year-round weather extremes, from blistering heat to unbearable cold, and a thick layer of smog at the end of autumn.
This has forced them to seek refuge in government-aided shelters; however, there is growing concern about overcrowding.
The death toll from December to January usually remains at over 400 in the national capital.
Currently, there are 213 permanent and 70- temporary shelters in Delhi, that can supposedly accommodate 10,000 people.
Economic segregation, class-divide and inadequate access to high-quality education are major reasons for homelessness in India. Due to lack of documented identification, such individuals cannot avail the benefits of government policies like PDS.
Furthermore, there is a need for a comprehensive law to address the issue of growing homelessness in the country, and provide a dignified life as guaranteed by the Indian Constitution in Article 21.