How Covid19 has highlighted the need for Worker Housing and Slum Management in India

As the Coronavirus pandemic takes the nation by a storm, with phase four of the lockdown currently underway, a certain group of people have been facing the brunt of the storm- India’s urban poor. With roughly 23% of India’s population living below its official poverty limit, the urban poor have been forced out of their livelihoods. Millions of workers are now migrating across the country to return to their villages and towns, undertaking a perilous journey that violates the “rules” that lockdown has imposed on most of us.

Several issues arise when it comes to India’s urban poor and their situational inability to deal with Covid19. A majority of them reside in slums, rented housing, and unauthorized colonies. While slum areas have managed to retain their population sizes, many workers residing in unauthorized colonies or makeshift setups have been forced to travel home, and much of this is due to the informality that comes with worker housing in urban areas.

The clustered living spaces coupled with lack of food, improper sanitation facilities and no way to socially distance themselves, it is almost impossible for the situation in slums to see any relief when it comes to their current situation. The fear of an outbreak in slum areas could potentially mean thousands of infected people, especially because of the proximity that people live in and the shared sanitation facilities. Access to things like hand sanitizers and fresh soap and water is a far cry, further highlighting the need for apt housing and conditions for the urban poor. Even public healthcare centers lie outside their meager income, which only adds on to their many problems.

As for workers who live in rented housings, which consists of about 35% - 45% of the urban poor, the situation is even worse as compared to slum areas. They live in semi-pucca rooms, lacking basic facilities and mostly overcrowded. Many migrant workers live in such conditions, which has caused the exodus of such workers as they return to their villages in the hope of better living conditions. However, this only serves to increase problems as traveling in these times is unsafe, leaving them with no good options.

Both of these cases highlight the need for a better worker housing system in India, especially when the nation is aiming at “Housing for All” . The situation demands an increased number of rental housing accommodations equipped with better facilities and available at affordable prices. With the Coronavirus outbreak, the improvement of such areas has been pushed into limelight and action must be taken towards the same, not only in case of emergencies like these, but for a better lifestyle in general. Instead of solely focusing on the development of better-off urban areas, it is time for the rise of better Social Renting Housing regimes and improved conditions in slums and urban poor areas alike.