It is encouraging to see that the government's plan to ensure that no one remains homeless in the country is going strong. On Wednesday, in the fourth phase of the Ashrayan-2 project, 39,365 more houses (along with land documents) were handed over to beneficiaries from 493 upazilas. With this, the number of houses handed over under this project since January 2021 stands at 215,827. In total, there are now 211 upazilas that have been declared homeless-free. This is nothing short of remarkable, coming as it does at a time when the poor are struggling to meet their basic needs, including housing. Reportedly, the PM has asked all concerned to identify families that remain landless in areas already declared homeless-free, which we hope will be quickly followed up on. We must, however, convey some concerns that deserve appropriate attention.

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A milestone achievement in fixing homelessness

One may recall that in July 2021, after houses were donated over the first six months of that year, multiple reports cited incidences of poor construction and corruption in the Ashrayan-2 project. For instance, in Pabna's Santhia upazila, over 100 houses under the project were found to be 1.5 feet shorter than what was in the construction plan. This allegedly happened due to the hastiness of workers and lack of monitoring by the implementing team. During the same period, seven such houses in Bogura's Sherpur upazila partially collapsed after a moderate rainfall. There have been also reports of families being forced to pay hefty sums of money to access houses that should have been given free, as well as instances of solvent landowners sneaking their way into the list of beneficiaries.

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A little bit of accountability can go a long way

To the government's credit, however, there have been initiatives to rectify some of the irregularities. In the face of houses collapsing due to poor-quality construction, for instance, the government upped the budget for the construction of homes under Ashrayan-2 project beginning from its third phase last year. In August 2021, we saw the arrest of a union parishad member for illegally occupying three houses built under the project in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. Efforts to address such loopholes and irregularities should continue. But the sincerity shown so far by the higher-ups is admirable. It gives us hope that the government's goal of zero homelessness is indeed achievable, if the present momentum is kept up.

By ensuring that one of the most basic human needs (housing) for all citizens is met, the government is also taking the country further in terms of achieving a number of Sustainable Development Goals related to reducing poverty, inequality, and improving life on land. We would encourage the authorities to expand their schemes to address the plight of the urban homeless/street population as well, and also address any irregularities in the Ashrayan-2 project as they appear. No one should have to suffer homelessness in a free country.