CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has adopted a new operational framework to institutionalise basic services for the urban homeless under the Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) scheme.
The corporation council, on Friday, approved the framework under which the administrative authority for the programme has been shifted from the civic body’s health department to the buildings department following concerns over implementation and monitoring gaps.
At present, GCC operates 49 shelters, including 37 shelters for the urban homeless and 12 special shelters for hospital attendants. With the newly inaugurated family shelter at Marina Beach operational, a corporation official said more family shelters are under construction.
The new framework introduces additional shelter categories, including transit shelters for rescued persons awaiting assessment or migrant workers often facing homelessness due to nomadic conditions. GCC will also coordinate with hospitals to support homeless persons requiring institutional care.
Category-specific menus will be finalised for each shelter serving the elderly, children, and other groups. GCC will also deploy three ambulances and three rescue vehicles, one for each region, to operate 24/7 rescue services with trained personnel.
The Community Development Wing model of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board will be adopted to strengthen social support delivery. A major shift under the framework is the new governance and monitoring structure. The commissioner will oversee the programme, with the deputy commissioner (Works) as the nodal officer.
The joint commissioner (Health) was the nodal officer earlier. Monitoring and administrative responsibilities are decentralised across levels, with the superintending engineer (Buildings), and executive engineer (Buildings). As per the framework, the shelters must provide a minimum of 50 sq ft per person, and ensure various other minimum basic amenities.
The framework places emphasis on socio-economic and psycho-social rehabilitation, including access to identity documents, skill training, employment, and family reintegration, with long-term institutional care.
Welcoming the move, Vanessa Peter, founder of IRCDUC, told TNIE, “The introduction of decentralised responsibilities, extending from the top level to zonal and ward levels, will strengthen implementation and accountability.
However, as several allied services required under the scheme fall under the purview of multiple line departments, the government must evolve a clear policy guideline for homelessness to ensure effective delivery of these services.”
Key changes
New decentralised governance structure
Additional shelter categories
Transit shelters
Shelters for migrant workers
Recovery shelters offering medical care and counselling
Care centre for elderly persons
Shelters for informal sector workers
Shelters providing de-addiction services
Shelters must provide a minimum of 50 sq ft per person
Isolation rooms for persons with communicable diseases
Rooms for shelter coordinators
Bilingual name boards
Water and sanitation facilities
Televisions, indoor games, libraries, children’s play areas
CCTV cameras