In some core places in Chennai, new shelters for homeless to be constructed
Posted on: 25/Jun/2019 10:03:20 AM
There are as many as 9087 people who are homeless in the city of Chennai. This was as per the data of the corporation of Chennai. It is now said that these people would get shelters as new shelters would be coming up in some core places such as Teynampet, Broadway, Saidapet, Egmore, Alwarpet and Mylapore etc. Point is civic body has got plans to start family shelters and focus on more shelters for the kids. The people using these upcoming shelters would have the benefit of being close to their work places.
Information collected is GCC or Greater Chennai Corporation wants street dwellers to use the facilities meant for the homeless. GCC is constructing 12 facilities now and it would be involved in construction of 21 more shelters in Chennai. A survey about the homeless people was taken in Chennai and it was found that the family shelters were absent plus the distance between shelters and workplaces prevented people from using the shelters.
A senior official belonging to GCC spoke about how his department has come up with shelters in core places and the occupants in these shelters could easily access their work places. The official hinted about how there are 38 shelters in Chennai and how new shelters would come up on TTK Road, KB Dasan Road and Periyar Ramaswamy Street.
It was mentioned by another official that some issues regarding finding land was faced by their department in the densely populated areas where the presence of homeless people is high. He then added that new shelters that would come up away from such areas would be mostly allocated to the senior citizens as they dont have to commute for work every day.
The practicality and features of the family shelters must be considered and then only family shelters could be constructed. This was as per an official. Information is family shelters could not be set up without being linked to a permanent housing policy for the homeless since the shelters are facilities for short stay.
It was pointed out by Vanessa Peter, policy researcher, Information and Resource Course for the Deprived Urban Communities, that the state needs to come up with a policy for the urban homeless. Vanessa Peter later explained about how it was a superb idea by the corporation to come out with the new shelters depending on the needs and in some important areas having more number of homeless people.
