Shelter home in Shimla has just 20 per cent occupancy

Sameer Singh

Shimla, November 29

Even as shelter homes are well-equipped with all basic facilities for the homeless, the occupancy in them remains quite low in the city. There is substantial drop in day and night temperature lately but not many homeless or destitute have sought to avail accommodation at shelter homes in the city.

In a reality check conducted by a team of The Tribune, it was found that the occupancy at local administration-run shelter home is just 20 per cent in Shimla. As against the capacity to accommodate 40 persons (homeless) in three floors of the building at shelter home situated near Auckland Tunnel area here, only eight persons are availing the facility while the rest of the rooms have been lying locked.

Lure of alms, donations and encroachment has been cited as reasons behind not many homeless availing such facilities. A survey by an NGO revealed that there were 129 homeless persons in the city but it’s surprising that only a minuscule percentage of them were availing the shelter home accommodation.

The three-storey shelter home situated near Auckland Tunnel is well-maintained, spacious, centrally-located (in terms of accessibility), neat and clean with proper arrangements of beds, quilts and mattresses, lighting, heaters, toilets and drinking water facilities. There is a separate floor for women homeless as well. The shelter home accommodation can be availed free of cost by homeless under the Shelter for Urban Homeless Scheme (as temporary accommodation).

Three occupants (at time of the visit) of the shelter home expressed satisfaction about the facilities being provided to them. These homeless persons visit and take food at the langar served inside the IGMC hospital (a few metres away from shelter home).

Apart from the shelter home operating near Auckland Tunnel, there is an arrangement of providing accommodation to homeless if need arises (after the one at Auckland Tunnel occupied fully) at one floor of Labour Hostel near Chaura Maidan area in the city. But since occupancy at the main shelter home remains quite low, the one situated inside the labour hostel also lies unused.

Shelter homes are being run by the Municipal Corporation of Shimla under the National Urban Livelihood Mission scheme.

Bhupender Attri, Commissioner of the Shimla MC, said: “Occupancy may be low at present, but it’s expected to improve by the next month as there will be colder days ahead.”

Lure of alms keeps homeless away

• Sources said despite shelter homes were well-equipped with all basic facilities, it was often the lure of alms/donations that has been keeping homeless persons away from availing the shelter home facility
• Beggars, homeless and destitute often throng areas near city bus stand where philanthropists often come to give them alms/donations in form of blankets, quilts, edibles and other necessary items for their subsistence
• Sources added that there was another category of homeless persons who have encroached upon land and residing in jhuggis. They do not want to move from these places and plan to build pucca houses on the encroached land

Not willing to come here

We conduct surprise rescue drives in areas to bring homeless people to the shelter homes but they are very reluctant to come here. Perhaps they are comfortable living in makeshift jhuggis and dharas and areas where they can easily get alms. We want to further improve facilities at shelter homes but not many are willing to come here. — A senior official