Homelessness Crisis: Mepma estimates Andhra requires 250 shelter homes

Visakhapatnam: Lavanya has a distant, vacant look in her eyes. Sumitra, eight months pregnant, is sitting quietly. Ratnamma is weeping with her head bowed, perhaps thinking of her children. Haunting expressions are common to all the three residents of a shelter home in Visakhapatnam. They do not have a place to call their own. They lack the comfort of loved ones. Central and state governments have come forward and collaboratively established shelter homes for such individuals.

However, such homes are small in number, leading to a visible increase in the number of homeless individuals on the streets across all cities. According to the 2011 census, approximately 1.45 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh are homeless. As per a directive of the Supreme Court, there should be one shelter home for every one lakh individuals, which would accommodate a hundred homeless. This requirement has not been fully met in Andhra Pradesh. In this regard, Deccan Chronicle contacted the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA). Its mission director V. Vijaya Lakshmi stated, "At present, Andhra Pradesh has 95 shelter homes.

But there is a growing need for more shelters, as the homeless population in the state has increased. We conducted a night survey four years ago and found 11,173 more homeless individuals. This number must have increased. We require at least 200 to 250 shelter homes to adequately address this issue." On February 22, 2023, Andhra Pradesh government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, mentioning that there are 89 operational shelter homes within the state. Specifically, there are eight shelter homes in Visakhapatnam, five in Vijayawada, four in Kadapa, Guntur, and Kurnool, and three in Anantapur. Two each shelter homes are located in Tenali, Narasaraopet, Nellore, Gudur, Chittoor, Tirupati, Dharmavaram, Nandyala, Hindupuram, Puttaparthi, and Podduthur.

Additionally, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Eluru, Tadepalligudem, Bhimavaram, Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Rayachoti, Pulivendula, Badvel, Rajampet, Erraguntla, Jammalamadugu, Adoni, Emmiganoor, Allagadda, Nandikotkur, Kadiri, Guntakal, Tadipatri, Goethe, Pamidi, Madakasira, Kalyandurg, Srikalahasti, Madanapalli, Pongunur, and Maidukuru have one shelter home each.

However, these shelter homes can only provide accommodation for 4,700 homeless individuals. Central government provides 60 per cent of the funds under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), while the state government extends the remaining 40 per cent. MEPMA uses these central and state funds to run these shelter homes. Activist P. Vasu, who runs the Association for Urban and Tribal Development (AUTD), told DC, “MEPMA has permanently closed seven shelter homes. Further, 35 of its shelter homes are operating without renewal certification.”

Thus, the available shelter homes are too few to accommodate the homeless in the state.