Chennai Corporation to develop six facilities for the homeless, including transit shelters

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will develop transit shelters for the homeless people shortly. The civic body intends to construct six new shelters for the homeless in addition to the 57 existing shelters in the city. The civic body will also construct a recovery shelter. GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran said: “The Greater Chennai Corporation has proposed the construction of six shelters for the homeless. Land has already been identified for five shelters, while suitable land for the remaining one shelter is yet to be identified.”Pointing to the need for transit shelters and recovery shelters, Dr. Sameeran said: “We have not fixed categories for the five new shelters. GCC needs one transit shelter per each region, north, south and central. To start with, we are starting with the central region. One of the five will be a recovery shelter. Apart from this, GCC needs, one shelter for palliative care, and one shelter for elderly without self-care.”Ward 104 councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said a number of homeless persons were found in areas such as Anna Nagar and some of them need support. Vanessa Peter, founder, Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities, said: “At present, when people experiencing homelessness are rescued by the Greater Chennai Corporation or the police, they are often admitted to whichever shelter has vacancy, without a comprehensive assessment of their individual needs and vulnerabilities. As a result, people requiring specialised care, recovery support, de-addiction services, mental health interventions, or other tailored assistance may be placed in shelters that are not equipped to meet their needs. Transit shelters can address this gap by serving as an initial point of reception, assessment, and stabilisation, enabling appropriate referrals to recovery shelters, specialised shelters, long-stay shelters, or other support services.”The GCC’s SOP for shelters recognises the need for customised solutions for persons in homeless situations. This specialised approach is said to be good practice as it acknowledges that support must be tailored to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of individuals. Establishing recovery shelters is particularly important, as existing shelters often lack the infrastructure, trained staff, and medical expertise required to support individuals who need medical care but do not require hospitalisation. Recovery shelters can therefore serve as a critical first step towards rehabilitation before individuals transition to longer-term support. Once implemented, the comprehensive model adopted by the GCC, including recovery and transit shelters, can be replicated by other urban local bodies to strengthen immediate care, improve referral pathways, and ensure access to appropriate shelter options based on individual needs, officials said. Published - July 28, 2026 05:30 am IST