Delhi: Mohammad Jamaal, 60, sat on a rickshaw outside a homeless shelter in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi, with a thin blanket over his frail body as he shivered in the biting January cold. 

His hands trembled as he waited for the food that would be served inside the shelter. 

"Beta, aik waqt ka khana dete hain, kaafi hai. Sone ka kya hai, kahin bhi soo lenge (They give me food once a day, and that’s enough. As for sleeping, I can sleep anywhere)," he said with a forced smile, his teeth chattered as he spoke.

Though the authorities offered him a meal, they wouldn’t let him stay in the shelter.

Jamaal is one among thousands of homeless people in Delhi unable to access shelter as he does not have an ID card and a mobile phone for registration. 

"I don’t know what an ID card is,” he said. “I don’t know how to use a mobile phone."

Orphaned as a child, Jamal said he had survived by picking and selling trash, earning just Rs 80-100 a day.

"I have been picking trash since childhood,” said Jamal. “This is my life."

Fiddling With Data

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the government body responsible for managing shelters in the capital, has space for only 9,000 of Delhi’s official homeless population of 16,760 in government and NGO-run shelters and tents.

NGOs estimated the number of homeless in Delhi closer to 300,000.

The available shelters in Delhi primarily house some of the most marginalised communities, including trash pickers, beggars, and cleaners, many of them migrants who came to India’s capital in search of work. 

Delhi is symptomatic of a national problem: India’s shelters have a capacity of 103,426—far below the 2011 census estimate of 1.77 million homeless, including 938,384 in urban areas. 

Experts argued this was a substantial undercount, estimating 3 million homeless in urban areas only. 

Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director at the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), said the number of shelter homes in the country was “extremely inadequate".

Describing the government estimates of 1.77 million homeless people as “highly understated and questionable” Aledia said, “Even without an accurate count, the available shelter capacity for the official numbers is far too low."

‘Parasites’: Supreme Court

In a February 2025 hearing of a public interest litigation seeking adequate shelters for homeless persons, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Bhushan R Gavai and A G Masih pointed to India’s inconsistent data and asked the Union of India to verify their statistics.

The SC bench said, "We find it appropriate that the learned attorney general finds out from the concerned ministry— whether the ministry of home affairs or the ministry of urban development—as to whether the said figure depicts the correct position and as to whether the said figure is as per the actual data of Union (sic) of India.” 

Some comments made by Supreme Court judges at the same hearing were criticised by activists and civil groups.  

“Unfortunately, because of these freebies...the people are not willing to work. They are getting free rations,” said the SC bench. “They are getting amounts without doing any work…aren’t we creating a class of parasites?”

No Shelter Without Documents

The CHD alleged that the Delhi Police issued verbal orders in December 2024 to shelter homes to demand mobile phones for digital registration and ID cards, such as Aadhaar or election cards, for access to homeless shelters in Delhi.

"Authorities use mobile phone and Aadhaar card requirements as an excuse to turn people away, knowing well that most homeless individuals don’t have them,” said Aledia.

Article 14 sought comment from the Delhi Police, via email on 21 March 2024, but they did not respond. We will update this story if they do.

Over 20 citizen groups united to urge authorities to ensure unrestricted entry for homeless individuals, condemning the digital registration requirement.

"With Delhi experiencing one of its coldest winters in 14 years, with temperatures dropping to as low as 4.9°C, this discriminatory practice poses a severe threat to the lives of vulnerable populations," said a 26 December 2024 letter signed by advocacy groups, such as Basti Suraksha Manch, Nirmaan Mazdoor Adhikaar Abhiyan, Delhi Rozi Roti Abhiyan, Shehri Mahila Kamgaar Union, and the Slum Dwellers Federation.

Following this, DUSIB cautioned officials against denying night shelters to the homeless over lack of documents.

Homeless people alleged that officials at shelters continued to demand identity proof and phone numbers.

Ignoring Orders

Babita, who goes by a single name, migrated from Chhattisgarh to Delhi a decade ago along with her four children and husband—a trash picker— who died two years ago. 

She said she was turned away from shelter tents outside the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in south Delhi after failing to provide ID proof or a phone number. 

"I went to several shelters, but they either said they were full or asked for documents I didn’t have," said Babita.

Now living on the streets of Jamia Nagar in south Delhi, Babita said she constantly fears for her safety. 

"I worry for myself and my children,” said Babita. “I don’t know when I might be attacked by drunk men roaming the streets."

She said returning to their home in Chattisgarh wasn’t an option. "There’s nothing for us there—no land, no shelter, no work,” she said. “At least here in Delhi, people give me some money. I manage to collect Rs 200-300 a day, just enough to feed my children."

Avinash Kumar, a Greenpeace campaigner who works on issues faced by the homeless due to climate change, said, "Even though DUSIB has stated that ID proof and phone numbers are not mandatory for shelter admission, we continue to hear cases of homeless individuals being turned away.”

Kumar said Aadhaar requirements and digital registration disproportionately excluded the most vulnerable. "The imposition of Aadhaar and digitisation pushes out homeless people, many of whom are migrants from different parts of India."

Kumar said he did not oppose record-keeping but recommended alternative methods. "There are many other ways, like maintaining records manually, without demanding ID proof or phone numbers," he said. "There is little to no outreach by authorities to ensure homeless individuals know their rights,” he said.

Shelter Vs ‘National Security’

The homeless in the capital city face even greater challenges when seeking admission to shelters on days like Republic Day, Independence Day, and elections. 

Prashant Kumar, a caretaker at the AIIMS temporary shelters—set up under the winter action plan from 15 November to 15 March—said that police directives often forced them to deny entry to many homeless people.

"During big events like elections or national days like republic day, the police instruct us to turn away the homeless, especially those without phone numbers or ID proof, fearing any unwanted activity," said Kumar.

He admitted that even permanent homeless residents of Delhi were denied shelter during these times. 

"We have to follow police orders, so we usually prefer those who come for treatment at AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital and have proper documentation," said Kumar. "Even if beds are vacant, we are forced to turn them away."

Supreme Court Ignored

These denials persist despite a 2011 Supreme Court directive requiring both union and state governments to establish bodies to manage shelters for the homeless and ensure one shelter per 100,000 population—each accommodating at least 100 people and providing essential amenities like drinking water, healthcare and a safe environment. 

Experts argued that these standards remain largely unfulfilled. Aledia accused authorities of consistently disregarded court orders—in improving shelter infrastructure or ensuring access—by imposing barriers like ID-proof and mobile-number requirements.

Many homeless people denied entry into shelters said they suffered severe health issues due to Delhi’s extreme weather—whether winter cold or summer heat—but had no access to medical care. 

Rukhsana, originally from Bihar, lives on the streets with her husband, a cleaner at Old Delhi’s bus stand, and their child. She said she was turned away from a shelter due to overcrowding.

“In winter, we shiver, and in summer, our bodies itch all over. It’s unbearable,” said Rukhsana, who goes by a single name. “Our baby cries every night because of the cold, but we can’t do anything.”

Desperation has driven her to dark thoughts. “Sometimes, I think of ending my life,” she admitted. “But I have a child—I can’t leave him alone. This is a miserable life, one I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy.”

Last year 192 homeless people died in a heatwave in New Delhi between 11 June  and 19 June , according to the non-profit organisation CHD, who said a further 180 homeless succumbed to the cold last winter.

Utkarsh Gupta, a Delhi doctor who specialises in chest medicine, said that people who worked and lived in the open were most vulnerable to extreme climate, such as heat waves, pollution and cold. 

“Prolonged exposure to cold can lead to hypothermia, frostbite, and respiratory infections, while extreme heat increases the risk of dehydration, heatstroke and cardiovascular issues,” said Gupta. 

“Constant exposure to air pollution worsens lung diseases like asthma and COPD, increases the risk of lung cancer, and weakens the immune system, while long-term UV exposure damages the skin and eyes, raising the chances of melanoma, cataracts and premature aging,” said Gupta.

A National Problem 

The issue of homelessness extends beyond Delhi, with inadequate shelters and infrastructure a nationwide problem. 

According to 2023 data from ministry of housing and urban affairs (MohUA), presented in the Rajya Sabha, India has 1,815 shelters that can house 103,426 people. 

Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim each have just one shelter, accommodating 50 and 13, respectively.

A 2021 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation survey found 11,915 homeless people in Mumbai. Activists working in the field said these figures are too low to be believed. 

The Housing and Land Rights Network, an advocacy group, estimated Delhi’s homeless population at 300,000 and Mumbai’s at 200,000. 

Aledia claimed that the government has “deliberately manipulated” data to “avoid” the Supreme Court’s directive to provide shelters for the entire homeless population, which he said is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. 

“There is no way a city like Delhi has just 16,760 homeless people when the government’s own 2011 Census recorded over 46,000,” said Aldeia. 

Article 14 sought comment from DUSIB, via email on 6 March and 12 March 2025, but they did not respond. We will update this story if they do.

Typically about 1% of the population of cities like Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai are homeless, according to Aldeia. 

“This data manipulation is simply a way to cut costs on the homeless,” Aldeia said. “Despite repeated concerns raised over the years, the government continues to turn a blind eye.”

(Mohammad Aatif Ammad Kanth is a Kashmiri born, Delhi-based journalist covering financial, economic, and environmental issues with a focus on policies affecting marginalised communities.)

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