Activists urge Tamil Nadu to frame state-specific scheme for homeless after Centre withdraws support

CHENNAI: A group of 74 activists, academicians and civil society representatives has urged the state government to evolve a state-specific scheme for people in homeless situations, citing a critical funding and continuity gap after the union government withdrew support for the Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) programme under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). They noted that the state-level monitoring committee for shelters has not been convened since August 2019 and called for its immediate revival to ensure oversight, coordination and accountability. Highlighting a pattern of repeated disruptions to the SUH scheme since 1992, they said these interruptions have undermined the sustainability of interventions and the rights of homeless persons to shelter and dignity. The group recommended creating specialised recovery shelters for terminally ill homeless individuals without caregivers, alongside climate-responsive measures such as a heat action plan and winter action plan to protect the homeless from extreme weather. They also urged strict implementation of the Tamil Nadu Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situations, 2022, to safeguard childrens rights. Independent and periodic audits of shelters should be mandated to ensure transparency, they added, while shelters must be retrofitted for universal accessibility. City-specific concerns were raised for Chennai, where a third-party survey identified 13,529 homeless persons. Of roughly 50 operational shelters, 13 are reserved for government hospital attendants, leaving only 37 shelters with a combined capacity of about 1,850 people for the citys homeless population. They criticised the Greater Chennai Corporation for diverting at least four shelter buildings, constructed using DAY-NULM funds, for other uses, urging the government to safeguard these facilities. The group also called for revisions to the standard operating procedure and reporting mechanisms for shelters through consultations with NGOs and residents.