Chandigarh Homeless Survey Report
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Ms. Meenakshi Sharma Dr. Aditya Parihar Community Organiser (Data Entry) Dr. Aditya Parihar & Mr. Shishpal Ms. Sunita Devi (Data Analysts) Dr. Aarti Goyal & Mr. Jatesh Kumar Project Administrative Incharge Dr. Charanpreet Singh, Dr. Aditya Parihar & Mr. Balbir Singh Dr. Abhishek Sharma Mr. Mahipal, Mr. Dinesh Kumar, Assistant Community Organiser Mr. Ramneet Singh, Mr. Shishpal (Field Work Supervisors) A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON CHANDIGARH HOMELESS SURVEY - 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sr. No. Contents Page No. 1. Introduction 11 2. Research Methodology 18 3. Results and Discussions 22 4. Conclusion 54 5. References 58 6. Annexures 60 LIST OF TABLES Chapter Table No. Title Page No. 2 2.1 Team Wise Allocation of Area 19 3.1 Homeless Persons having ID Proof 22 3.2 Homeless Persons having type of Identity Proof 23 3.3 Age Wise distribution of Population 24 3.4 Gender Wise distribution of Homeless Population 25 3.5 Education Qualification of the Homeless persons 26 3.6 Marital Status of the Homeless Population 27 Frequency Distribution of married homeless persons 3.7 28 having number of boy child 3.8 Number of Girl Children of the Homeless Population 29 3 3.9 Total Number of Children of the Homeless Population 30 3.10 Location of the Homeless Population 31 3.11 Occupation of the homeless Population 33 Occupation of the homeless persons among others with 3.12 34 regard to Frequency and Percentage 3.13 State Wise Distribution of the Homeless Population 35 3.14 Health Status of the Homeless Population 37 Frequency Distribution of homeless persons with 3.15 respect to Health Status among those who having other 38 health issues 3.16 Habits of the Homeless Population 39 LIST OF TABLES Chapter Table No. Title Page No. Frequency Distribution of homeless persons with 3.17 40 respect to reason for stay in ULB Frequency Distribution of homeless persons with 3.18 41 respect to others reason for stay in ULB 3.19 Number of Visit to Home by Homeless Population 42 3.20 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojna 43 3.21 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojna 44 3.22 Awareness of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna 45 3.23 Availing Benefits of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna 46 3 3.24 Availability of Bank Bank Accounts 47 Frequency Distribution of homeless persons who are 3.25 48 having bank account 3.26 Availing Benefit of LPG subsidy facility 49 3.27 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna 50 3.28 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha 51 BimaYojna 3.29 Awareness of Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojna 52 3.30 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Garib Awas Yojna 52 3.31 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Garib Awas Yojna 53 LIST OF FIGURES Chapter Figure No. Title Page No. 1 Homeless Persons having ID Proof 22 2 Homeless Persons having type of Identity Proof 23 3 Age wise distribution of Population 24 4 Gender Wise distribution of Homeless Population 25 5 Education Qualification of the Homeless persons 26 6 Marital Status of the Homeless Population 27 Frequency Distribution of married homeless persons 7 28 having number of boy child 8 Number of Girl Children of the Homeless Population 29 3 9 Total Number of Children of the Homeless Population 30 11 Occupation of the homeless Population 33 Occupation of the homeless persons among others 12 34 with regard to Frequency and Percentage 13 State Wise Distribution of the Homeless Population 35 14 Health Status of the Homeless Population 37 15 Frequency Distribution of homeless persons with respect to Health Status among those who having 38 other health issues 16 Habits of the Homeless Population 39 17 Reason for stay in ULB 40 LIST OF FIGURES Chapter Figure No. Title Page No. 18 Type of stay of Homeless Population 41 19 Number of Visit to Home by Homeless Population 42 20 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojna 44 21 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojna 45 22 Awareness of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna 46 23 Availing Benefits of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna 47 24 Availability of Bank Accounts 48 3 Frequency Distribution of homeless persons who are 25 48 having bank account 26 Availing Benefit of LPG subsidy facility 49 27 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna 50 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha 28 51 BimaYojna 29 Awareness of Pradhan Mantri Garib Awas Yojna 52 30 Availing Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Garib Awas Yojna 53 LIST OF MAPS Chapter Map No. Title Page No. 2 2.1.1 Homeless Hotspots in Chandigarh 19 11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Homelessness is in part a direct result of families migrating from rural to urban cities and urbanization. Migration to urban areas can occur for a variety of reasons ranging from loss of land, need for sustainable employment, lack of clean water and other resources, and in some cases like the Bargi Dam Project, loss of all property and complete displacement. Once reaching cities, homeless attempt to create shelters out of tin, cardboard, wood, and plastic. Slums can provide an escape, yet individuals often cannot afford them. Homeless individuals may experience abuse, maltreatment and lack of access to schools and healthcare. Some other problems leading to homelessness include: disability (either mental, physical, or both), lack of affordable housing (a basic apartment in India costs approximately $70 USD per month), unemployment (either seasonal or through economic hardships), and changes in industry. Desertion of the old, mentally ill, unmarried pregnant women, helpless divorced women and girl children also are some of the main causes of homelessness in India. Jobs involving heavy industry and manufacturing (that require only a high school level of education) are being replaced by service industry jobs (which may or may not require a higher level of education). Since university is less affordable for the average Indian than it is for the average North American or European citizen due to their lower per capita income level, more people in India are becoming unemployable for the jobs of the 21st century. The average per capita income for a citizen of India is barely more than $1,200 USD; compared to $54,510 USD in Canada and more than $64,800 USD in Switzerland. Policymakers attribute the following factors as the main causes of homelessness: drug abuse, mental illness, relationship failures, and domestic abuse. These place responsibility and blame directly on the homeless. Policies related to „deinstitutionalization of care for mentally ill people and subsequent abandonment of a family member with mental illness by the family‟ have also increased the number of people living without a roof over their heads. Street children fall under the broader category of children in especially difficult circumstances (CEDC), and are considered the most threatened of all children in CEDC. It is estimated that there are more than 400,000 street children in India. According to UNICEF, street children can be broken up into four sections: at-risk children who live with family but work on the streets for income, children who primarily stay on the street but have some residence with family, children who spend most of their lives on the street and do not live with or contact family, and finally abandoned children who are on their Survey for Urban Homeless in Chandigarh Survey for Urban Homeless in Chandigarh 12 own with no adult figures. Children flee homes of poverty, violence, oppression and exploitation and eventually reside on the streets. Children are often privy to exploitation and physical and mental abuse due to familial stress, depression, and alcohol abuse. When they run away from their families to find a better life, children face prostitution and physical labor. Children as young as 6 sift through garbage seeking money to buy food. Furthermore, children live on the streets as a result of urbanization, poverty, unemployment, alcoholic families, death of parents, bad relationships with new parents, and drug use. Street children often have bad performance and behavior issues in school and may eventually drop out, leading to low literacy. They are stripped of their right to education and recreation. This ties into a cycle perpetuating poverty and homelessness. Street children have more physical and mental health issues than non-street children. Assuming children will ask for bribes, hospitals abstain services, increase prices, or refuse them proper care. These issues can cause street children to become depressed or antisocial with negative approaches to life. Street children suffer from multiple forms of abuse. Most experience verbal and psychological abuse, some experience general abuse and neglect, fewer suffer from health abuse, and a small number from physical (including sexual) abuse. Data shows that high levels of one type of abuse are correlated with high levels of another, with amount of abuse increasing with age and income. Often, abuse comes from police or manipulative employers and occupations. Additionally, studies show that boys are more abused than girls on the streets. Finally, abuse can stem from children with hierarchy on the streets. Members of a group help protect each other to survive. However, older member often abuse the younger children. Homelessness and poverty are the main causes of child labor in India. Census 2011 reported that there nearly 43.5 lakh children aged 5-14 years work to support themselves and their families. According to UNICEF, nearly 12% of all of India‟s children are laborers. In many cases, poor parents have no choice but to send their children to work in unsafe and hazardous conditions. Challenges faced by t h e H o m e l e s s One challenge the homeless face is the inaccessibility to shelters. Although shelters are available for the homeless in certain cities, many homeless people choose to not utilize them and live on the streets instead due to various different reasons.