Mental illness is a problem that can be cured with medicine, but we must come forward and voice out what we need.” Jennifer, a homeless shelter resident from The Banyan, stepped up to share her concerns at Maatram 2025. Hers was among the many voices that resonated at the event organised by The Banyan and HCL Foundation on Wednesday. From the need for more volunteers and suggestions to involve shelter residents in rescue missions, to challenges that transpersons face, the forum discussed the difficulties encountered by the homeless and aimed at finding solutions.
At a pattimandram session, ‘Life on the Streets vs. Life in the Shelter’, the homeless shared their experiences. Women’s safety, lack of proper signage for shelters, poverty as a major cause of homelessness, and challenges in sanitation access due to poor maintenance of public toilets, were discussed.
A panel discussion followed on policy decisions, academia and law enforcement’s role in driving change, and strategies for improving homeless shelters in the city. It brought forth several key areas that needed focus. Among the panelists was Subiksha, city homeless shelter all-coordinator, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), who detailed civic initiatives stating that Chennai has 49 Corporation-run shelters for men, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, transpersons, and hospital patients’ attendants. More shelters will be established based on the ongoing homelessness survey, she said.
Dr Antony Stephen from Madras School of Social Work spoke on the role and need of academic institutions in addressing homelessness. “People continue to migrate from rural areas to cities like Chennai for work and remain on the streets without a place to stay. Thus, homelessness is difficult to eradicate, but it must be assessed for better policymaking,” he said. He noted that 80% of the ongoing survey mapping is complete, with southern Chennai also included where the homeless community is expanding. “As per the Supreme Court’s mandate, cities must have one shelter per one lakh population, and with a population of 80 lakhs, Chennai should have at least 80 shelters, but currently, only 49 exist,” he said. The panel also included Sundari from NGO Street Vision who urged the public to engage with the homeless community, stating that simple conversations could bridge societal gaps.
The event ended with ‘Policy Perspectives on Homelessness and Mental Health’. Advocating for AI-based awareness campaigns in collaboration with IT companies, Newton Raj from HCL Foundation called more companies to invest in CSR projects to expand shelter and housing services. Tarique Mohd from The Koshish Trust spoke of the neglected struggles of homeless women in the city. “When we talk about women’s safety in general, there is no dialogue around the safety of homeless women — they are often invisible in conversations,” he noted.
Public’s participation is vital in sheltering the homeless. B Asha Latha, additional city health officer of GCC urged people to utilise the toll-free number 1913 and noted that the GCC and NGOs conduct daily drives to bring the homeless to shelters.