The city will be getting six more shelters for the homeless in a month, taking the total number to 34, in the Chennai Corporation’s attempt to meet a 2010 Supreme Court order stating that every major city needs to have one shelter for every lakh of its population.
70 shelters target
The Corporation had adopted a resolution last November to increase the number of shelters by 42, so that the city has 70 shelters to match its population.
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However, officials say that the plan is not likely to bear fruition by the end of this year as the Corporation had intended.
According to a senior official, getting buildings on rent has been a particularly a persistent problem when it came to opening shelters.
“Landlords fear giving us portions for rent. In areas such as Sowcarpet and NSC Bose Road, where there are lot of pavement dwellers, it is very difficult to find space for setting up shelters,” the official said.
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At defunct schools
The civic body had resolved to set up shelters at 12 defunct Corporation schools in Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar and Teynampet zones.
It has, however, axed the idea, owing to flak it received earlier this year about the conduct of its schools.
Groups protested against privatisation of schools and the usage of premises for any other purpose apart from education.
Meanwhile, the Corporation is talking to other departments to figure out the space problem.
Unused spaces
“We had written to MRTS to use some of the vast unused spaces in its stations, as many homeless people seek shelter there. We have not received a favourable response as yet,” the official said.
Civic body awaits response from MRTS on using its unused space