Vol: 7, Issue: 1 2017

Page: 43-50

Homelessness in India

Radhika Kapur

The phenomenon of homelessness is stated to be one of the poorest forms of urban poverty and social vulnerability. It is largely upsetting and also an impediment within the course of the development of the country, that a large number of poverty stricken people in urban areas are homeless. In a civilized society and an independent India, a large number of individuals, who do not have proper education, employment opportunities, and other facilities that are required for an efficient living are homeless, i.e. they do not even have proper roofs over their heads and have to live on the streets. In this research paper, the concept of homelessness has been studied, the main areas that are taken into consideration are, causes for homelessness, lifestyle of the homeless individuals, problems and difficult situations experienced by homeless individuals, National Policy and housing for the poor homeless and the homeless girl child. Amongst the homeless individuals, women constitute one of the groups that are affected by homelessness on an extreme basis. The individuals who are homeless, encounter numerous problems, they are deprived of human rights and suffer from the most severe kinds of abuses and violence. There have been individuals, who at one point of time, led a good life, had access to educational and employment opportunities, but the occurrence of natural calamities and disasters have left them in a homeless state. It is evident that the circumstances that have led the individuals and families to homelessness are prevalent worldwide and there are absence of tasks that would integrate these homeless individuals into the mainstream society.