21.09.2024
To,
Commissioner,
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Sub: Recommendations regarding Homeless Shelter Homes in Hyderabad
Madam,
Human Rights Forum has been working on the rights of the marginalized and deprived for the last 25 years in both Telugu States. This is an unregistered and voluntary organization.
We are aware that the Supreme Court of India,in 2007, made some recommendations to the Govt.Of India to to take care of the homeless people in Urban Towns as they are the citizens of this country.. National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy (NUHHP), aims at promoting sustainable development of habitat in the country with a view to ensuring equitable supply of land, shelter and services at affordable prices to all sections of the society. However, the most vulnerable of these are the urban homeless. The shelters should be permanent all-weather shelters for the urban homeless. For every one lakh urban population, provisions should be made for permanent community shelters for a minimum of one hundred persons. Depending upon local conditions each shelter could cater to 50 or 100 persons.
Then Govt.Of Andhra Pradesh in its affidavit to the Supreme court assured that around 60 Shelter Homes would be started in Hyderabad City. But only 14 are in existence, presently
In this background of the objectives, Human Rights Forum Hyderabad Unit has visited 5 Homeless Shelter Homes located in Hyderabad, to understand the issues of the Homeless community in Hyderabad and intricacies in running a shelter home. For this purpose, the team has visited the following homes.
1. Aman Nivas shelter Home for Men, Begumpet
2. Aman Nivas recovery home for Men, Begumpet
3. SES shelter home for men, Begumpet
4. Shelter home for women, Saroornagar
5. Shelter home for women, Uppal
The team noticed following issues
- Location & Building Space:
It is apparent that Shelter Homes are established at an available space but not where they are required.
While the Homeless community which is highly mobile and usually makes a livelihood as head loaders and daily wagers, their concentration is more around market areas, railway stations and bus stands. It is shocking to note that none of the Shelter Homes are established in such areas. This choice of location based on availability of vacant spaces rather than where they should be, is counterproductive and dampens the spirit of Shelter homes.
There are 3 shelter homes under Begumpet flyover. In the rainy season water seeps from the Fly Over. As the fly over is maintained by NHAI, GHMC officials made a temporary arrangement to divert water internally, in one Home only. This issue indicates that these 3 shelter homes are not “all weathered” shelter homes.
Regarding Saroornagar shelter home for women, the home is in an old building, considered as a Nizam era building, placed in cross roads. Just because it is empty, GHMC is running a shelter home in it. The building is designed for office purposes, but not for stay. The kitchen area and toilets are insufficient.
In Uppal, shelter home for women is placed in a community hall. This home, by far the cleanest and new. However, it is placed in a community hall. Similarly, Boudh Nagar shelter home for women is placed in a community hall, but was vacated to give space to the police station. Human Rights Forum feels that Uppal shelter homes might face the same threat.
- Amenities:
Building maintenance, water, drainage and electricity were provided by the GHMC directly. Amount for other daily items such as mugs, buckets, kitchen items, groceries, medicines, cots etc are mobilized by the NGO which is running the shelter home.
The budget kept for maintenance of the home is very meager considering the number of inmates in every home. It is appalling that as little as Rs. 7500 for the whole year is allotted for the home.
- Hospital Shelter Homes Vs Homeless Shelter Homes
Considering Shelters Homes run in hospitals as Homeless shelter homes is diluting the cause of shelter homes. In the Government hospitals of Hyderabad, total 4 shelter homes are being run, to provide the shelter for the attendees of the patients who are receiving treatment at the same hospital. While this move by GHMC is appreciated, keeping them in the Homeless shelter Home category is against the spirit of Homeless. Going by the definition of Homeless by Census of India i.e., “the persons who are not living in Census houses”. The attendees of the patients are not homeless, but require a shelter on a temporary basis. Mixing the shelter needs of patient attenders at hospital, with homeless who cannot afford a home to lead a dignified life is going to dampen the cause. These attender shelter homes might serve to show a big number in the Government reports and on websites, but they are not catering to the needs of the homeless.
- Salaries for the Shelter Home Managers and Caretakers.
While in Hyderabad the Home Manager and Caretaker are receiving Rs. 5000 and Rs. 3500, their counterparts in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh are receiving Rs. 12000 and Rs. 10000 per month respectively. (Andhra Pradesh G.O. MS. No. 347 dated 29-10-2018. (Annexure – 2)
As the nature of work of Home Managers and Caretakers is equivalent to warden and supervisor of a hostel.
As per Notification issued vide G.O.Ms.No.71 , LET&F (Lab.II) Dept., dt.15.12.2011.
Published in Gazette No.282, dated 17.5.2012 the minimum wage for Minimum Wages and VDA payable from 01.04.2024 to 30.09.2024 for Warden/Manager and supervisor stands at Rs. 17867 and Rs. 16287 respectively.
Human Rights Forum feels that Home Managers and Caretakers should receive at least Minimum wage decided by the Government of Telangana.
- Number of Shelters Homes in the city
As per Supreme Court guidelines, there Should be one shelter home for every 1 lakh population. GHMC has been failing to establish the minimum number of shelter homes in the GHMC area. As the Shelters are not established as per the number, many Homeless are not willing to be admitted in the shelter homes which are far from the workplace, which is counterproductive to the concept of Homeless Shelter Homes. According to the 2011 census, the population of Hyderabad is 68 Lakh. And there are only 14 shelter homes running at present.
- Deaths of Homeless persons in 2024
In the calendar year of 2024, so far, two deaths of Homeless persons were reported in print media. In both the cases, homeless persons were murdered over a fight pertaining to a place of sleep on footpath. These highlight insufficient Homeless Shelter Homes in the city and lack of outreach. Reports were attached in the Annexure -1.
- Dignity of Homeless on the street and in shelter Homes
It is a well known fact that society does not accept homeless persons due to misconceptions. General public view them as beggars, thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes etc. and fail to see them as migrant labor. There is a need to create awareness on the issues faced by the homeless community.
It has come to our notice that one private school management made a complaint on the Begumpet Shelter home that homeless residing in SUH are visible for them. GHMC officials responded immediately and installed a curtain so that the issue is resolved, however, it shows the lack of awareness and empathy for the homeless.
We gathered that, many times, homeless people were picked up in the beggar-free city drive. We believe, GHMC which is responsible for the welfare of Homeless should empower its employees and along with other line departments that homeless is not a synonym for beggars.
We came to know that, death of a homeless person either on the street or in the SUH gets complicated due to financial and administrative reasons. It is very disheartening to know that there is no dignity even in the death of a homeless person.
- Shelter Homes for Families
Though guidelines indicate that Shelter for Urban Homeless should accommodate, shelter-less families, no such SUH is established by the GHMC yet. As all the homeless are not single women or men, specialized shelter homes which accommodate families should be established.
- Shutdown of Boudhanagar Women Shelter Home
Women shelter home of Namalagundu was moved from there to a community hall in Boudhanagar, in promise that the old building will be demolished and a new building will be constructed and provided for them, which was never materialized. Meanwhile authorities decided to allocate a community hall to the police station, making residents of SUH, shelter-less again. Women and their offspring were sent to other shelter homes at a distance. Similar incident happened for the Bible House Men’s Shelter Home in the past. These two incidents indicate the low priority given to the homeless community in Hyderabad.
- Recommendations
- Build SUH 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
- Number of Shelter homes according to Supreme Court guidelines to be maintained.
- Conduct surveys of the homeless and make them aware of the SUH.
- Establish SUH for families
Regards,
Sanjeev, General Secretary, HRF – Hyderabad.
Rohith, Secretary, HRF – Hyderabad.
Annexure 1:
Annexure 2:
