Give us homes, plead homeless from Periamet in petition to CM

CHENNAI: More than 100 homeless residents from VV Koil Street in Periamet gathered outside the Secretariat on Monday, urging Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to provide permanent housing to 69 families, who said they have been living on the city’s pavements for nearly 60 years.

In a petition submitted to the CM, residents described the harsh realities of life without a home. They said women were forced to bathe behind makeshift screens in the open, children studied under streetlights, and parents took turns staying awake through the night to protect their families.

“Five generations of our families have lived on these streets. Repeated appeals over the past 15 years for houses under the TN Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) have gone unanswered,” they said. “We had earlier petitioned Mayor Priya Rajan, former HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu, Egmore MLA Paranthaman, MP Dayanidhi Maran and, most recently, GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran.”

With no progress, they decided to seek the CM’s direct intervention. “For many, living inside four walls is a basic necessity, but for us, it’s a luxury,” said K Jennifer, a Class 7 student. “I study under the streetlights every night and complete my homework at school to avoid being reprimanded by teachers.”

Also, lack of basic amenities is as pressing as the absence of housing. All 69 families depend on a single hand-pump for washing and a nearby public toilet. When it rains, they move temporarily to bus stands and railway stations to escape flooding.

B Sujitha, a newly married resident, said women face constant threats to their privacy and safety. “The lack of bathrooms forces us to bathe behind a temporary screen. Because our living area is surrounded by tall lodges, people watch us from above. We only start cooking dinner after 10 pm once nearby shops close. We go to sleep around 1 am while our mothers stay awake to guard us,” she elaborated.

S Sakthivel, a long-time resident, pointed out that the neighbourhood had transformed over the decades with new commercial lodges and restaurants in and around the area, but people continued to live on the pavement. “My father worked in a local leather company; we initially lived on Raja Muthiah Salai before moving near a school and later settling here. We do not want our children to live the way we did. Due to homelessness, many children drop out of school. Most of us are daily wage workers earning barely Rs 400 a day,” he lamented.

A delegation led by N Manju met School Education Minister and Egmore MLA Raj Mohan at the Secretariat and handed over the petition. According to residents, the Minister immediately contacted the department officials and urged them to expedite the matter.

Responding to the issue, a senior TNUHDB official said, “The GCC forwarded a verified list of 58 homeless families from the locality, of which 50 have been found eligible for housing. However, the allotments are awaiting a decision on who will bear the mandatory beneficiary contribution – whether it will be funded by the GCC or paid by the beneficiaries. The allotment orders will be issued as soon as the financial arrangement is finalised.”