City Makers Rights Group take up issues for the Homeless people

The City Makers Rights Group - CMRG organized a Press Meet on 23rd December 2011 at Chennai Press Club. The City Makers Rights Group (comprising of community leaders from the homeless community in Chennai) takes this opportunity to submit their demands Government of Tamilnadu. Their demands made were, State should not resort to Forced Eviction as it is a gross human rights violation. Steps to be taken to provide in-situ entitlements for the urban poor communities with security to land tenure. 

The urban poor should not be forced to pay for their houses under the Hire Purchase/Land-cum-lease Scheme. If the urban poor residences are in dehumanized condition, adequate housing (with physical and social infrastructure facilities) should be provided within 3 kilometers radius of their original place of habitation. Any housing process should commence only after community consultation process involving representatives from the various social groups in the settlement. Detailed mapping of homeless in the city should be re-surveyed as there are gaps in the previous enumeration. 

The mapping has to be done in consultation with the people and adequate Shelters have to be opened for the destitute individuals as per the Supreme Court guidelines and for the families they have to be linked with the housing scheme of Govt. of Tamilnadu not more than 3 kilometers from their existing place of habitation. For details contact Ms.Vanessa, Program officer, Actionaid Mobile: 99415-37581 or  Ms.R.Lydia, Project Manager, Urban Poor Homeless Initiatives, ICWO Mobile: 99621-89087.