National Forum for Homeless Housing Rights
NFHHR is a coalition of 50 major organizations, activists and lawyers working at multi-levels across the country on the issues of homelessness and housing. Set up in 2013, the forum aims to prevent and eliminate homelessness while protecting the rights and addressing the needs of the people experiencing homelessness. The forum operates at multitude levels ranging across from ‘Night Vigil’ to policy making and legal intervention.
§ Homelessness prevention
§ Illegal demolitions and Forced evictions
§ Women in Shelters and on Pavements
§ Homeless children and Children in Shelters
§ Disabled homeless individuals
§ Health and employment issues of homeless people
§ Violence Against homeless individuals
§ Drug de-addiction
§ Night Vigilance
§ Emergency rescues
§ Empowerment of homeless individuals
§ Resettlement and Rehabilitation
§ In-situ upgradation
§ Advocacy for effective and systemic policy changes
§ Court based intervention/ Legal Intervention
Major Impacts
Over the years there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of urban homeless individuals in the capital city. With our intervention by means of night vigilance, open letters, engaging into dialogue with the authorities etc. we have been successful in providing shelter to over a thousand homeless individuals in each successive year. On account of the efforts made by our team around 700 homeless patients including women, adolescent girls, children sleeping on pavement around AIIMS hospital were given access to the subway in the bone-chilling cold of the capital.
The safety and security of women and young girls residing in shelters has always been an issue of major concern but it recently surfaced when a 6 year old girl from the shelter was molested. The Forum conducted a public hearing in 2015 which brought together hundreds of homeless women and girls across the capital city. The victims voiced out their grievances and opinions which were published in form of a report titled ‘Public Hearing on Homeless Women and Violence at Bangla Sahib New Delhi Assembly’ Taking action on this report, DCW cancelled licences of 90 shelter homes operating across the city, installed CCTV Cameras in the shelter homes and took various other measures for enhancement of safety and security for women in shelter homes.
Nationwide survey of shelter homes was conducted in collaboration with Water Aid in the year 2015. We audited shelter homes of 25 cities across the country and prepared an extensive report concluding that shelter homes of Delhi were most unliveable. This report was submitted to the Government of India with detailed suggestions and recommendations for improvement and betterment of shelter homes.
Homeless death is a havoc which engulfs the capital city each successive winter. Ground intervention has been done by the Forum in form of emergency rescues in wee hours of the night, sensitization of locals to provide support and care to homeless people and spreading awareness about accessibility to ‘rain baseras’. Active participation of the Forum on the ground has led the government to take notice of these homeless deaths.
The Forum has played a major role in recognition of need for shelter homes in summers. The persistent effort and initiation by the Forum has led to the formation of Summer Action Plan for Homeless by DUSIB.
Major Legal Interventions
First night shelter cm drug de-addiction centre exclusively for women and young girls was opened at Pardabagh, Delhi as a result of the order of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi at New Delhi in W.P. (C) No. 29 of 2010.
1. W.P.(C) 7756/2017 SUNIL KUMAR ALEDIA Vs. GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS. Advocate : KAMLESH KUMAR MISHRA & VISHAL KALRA
2. W.P.(C) 7638/2017 SUNIL KUMAR ALEDIA Vs. GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS Advocate : KAMLESH KUMAR MISHRA
3. W.P.(C) 4417/2017 SUNIL KUMAR ALEDIA Vs. GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS Advocate : KAMLESH KUMAR MISHRA
4. W.P.(C) 9663/2017CENTRE FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT-CHD & ANR Vs. DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY & ORS Advocate : KAMLESH KUMAR MISHRA & CHOUDHARY ALI ZIA KABIR
Focus States
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Rajasthan
MP
Punjab
Delhi
Haryana
Chattisgarh
Jharkhand
Himachal
Partner Organisations
§ Centre for Holistic Development 2011
Project Sleepwell
§ People’s Care Foundation 2015
§ Urban Shelter Improvement Trust 2017
§ Society for Holistic Approach and Development 2017
§ Corpus Juris India 2017
