Hyderabad’s homeless crisis: A silent tragedy
Hyderabad: In the bustling streets of Hyderabad, a silent crisis unfolds every night as thousands of homeless individuals struggle to find safe accommodation. A recent report by the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has shed light on the alarming inadequacies of the city’s homeless shelter system, revealing a stark contrast between policy promises and ground realities.
According to Supreme Court guidelines, Hyderabad should have one shelter home for every one lakh residents. The HRF report states that only 14 shelter homes are currently operational, less than a quarter of the required number. To take stock of the situation HRF team visited Aman Nivas shelter Home for Men, Begumpet, Aman Nivas recovery home for Men, Begumpet, SES shelter home for men, Begumpet, Shelter home for women, Saroornagar and Shelter home for women, Uppal.
HRF exposes City’s failure to protect Homeless
The team found existing shelters face significant challenges, for instance Some shelters, like those under the Begumpet flyover, are not truly “all-weather” facilities, with water seepage during rains. The budget for shelter maintenance is shockingly low, with only Rs 7,500 allocated per shelter for an entire year. Shelter staff, including managers and caretakers, are severely underpaid compared to their counterparts in other cities and fall well below minimum wage standards.
“In the calendar year of 2024, so far, two deaths of Homeless persons were reported in the media. In both the cases, homeless persons were murdered over a fight pertaining to a place of sleep on a footpath. These highlight insufficient Homeless Shelter Homes in the city and lack of outreach,” said Rohith, Secretary of HRF, Hyderabad.
The Human Rights Forum has submitted a representation to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation(GHMC) with recommendations to address these critical issues such as Construct Shelter Homes in the locations accessible for the Homeless community, instead of opting for the vacant spaces, Restore Boudhanagar Shelter Home for women, Increase salaries and budget for the running of shelter homes, Conduct surveys of the homeless and make them aware of the Shelter Homes and establish Shelter homes for families.
