India's homelessness problem has come into sharp focus over the last decade. The 2011 census count enumerated 449,761 houseless households and families and 17,73,040 people experiencing homelessness in India. The census further broke down those numbers to suggest 52.9 % of these people were based in urban areas, and 47.1% in rural areas. Some common reasons included poverty, drug addiction, natural disasters and conflict, family problems, and unemployment. 

Homelessness: An Emerging Threat highlights homelessness as a major public health problem and emphasizes the need for special care in order to promote equity in health systems as part of Sustainable Development Goals. The article calls on the Indian government to undertake physical upgrades of informal settlements, including different types of slum areas accompanied by the providing access to roads and basic amenities like electricity, water supply and sanitation.