Providing housing for homeless people is increasingly seen not just as a social service but as essential infrastructure, similar to water, sanitation and electricity. Safe housing helps ensure the stability, safety and health of society. Lawmakers and governments must understand why poor people are forced to build illegal houses and address the root causes.
Modern and effective approaches to ending homelessness, such as the “Housing First” model, treat permanent housing as the basic foundation for rebuilding lives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to provide housing to the homeless are a positive step, but faster implementation is needed. State governments must also practically implement their own housing policies.
Government-backed shelter programmes, such as the Scheme of Shelters for Urban Homeless (SUH) in India, aim to provide basic infrastructure facilities including clean drinking water, sanitation, bathing facilities and electricity.
Stable and permanent housing is also important for public health. It helps reduce the spread of communicable diseases, lowers deaths caused by extreme weather, and reduces pressure on emergency services.
Research shows that investing in permanent housing is often more cost-effective than spending heavily on emergency healthcare, policing and other services linked to people living on the streets. This is the need of the hour.
Housing is recognised internationally as a basic human right. Providing it ensures privacy, safety and dignity, and is an important step towards the development of both the country and the world.
