Under Represented Population: The Homeless

Report of Census 2011 says, there were 1.77 million homeless people in India, which is about 0.15% of the country's total population. Prior to the release of Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, Mumbai was a slum tourist destination for slumming where homeless people and slum dwellers alike could be openly viewed by tourists. Some of the problems leading to homelessness include: disability (either mental, physical, or both), lack of affordable housing (considering that a basic apartment in India costs approximately $177 USD per month), unemployment (either seasonal or through economic hardships), andchanges in industry. An increasing number of migrants looking for employment and better living standards are quickly joining India's homeless population. About 78 million people in India live in slums and tentments. 17% of the world's slum dwellers reside in India-making 170 million people “almost homeless.”