SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 10,848 urban homeless people, as per the latest government data, highlighting a significant challenge in providing adequate shelter for the most vulnerable sections of society. The figures were presented in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in response to an unstarred question on February 10, 2025.
According to the data sourced from the Primary Census Abstract: Houseless Population, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, the total urban houseless population in the country stands at 9,38,348. While states such as Uttar Pradesh (1,80,929), Maharashtra (1,11,373), and West Bengal (1,04,967) have the highest numbers, Jammu and Kashmir also faces a considerable challenge with its urban homeless population surpassing 10,000.
The government acknowledged that a total of 2.52 lakh urban homeless individuals have been identified through systematic third-party surveys conducted by states and union territories under the Scheme for Shelters for Urban Homeless (SUH) component of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). However, the responsibility for addressing urban homelessness primarily lies with state governments, as land and colonisation fall under the state subject list as per the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Despite this, the central government has been supplementing state efforts through various housing schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). This initiative aims to provide all-weather pucca houses with basic civic amenities to eligible urban households. Under the SUH component of DAY-NULM, shelters equipped with essential facilities are being developed to accommodate the urban homeless.
