Abstract: Delhi’s economy is highly dependent on migrants comprising about 50% share of the total population growth concentrated in the national capital as estimated by the Master Plan, 2021.
In the year 2020, with the hit of the Covid-19 pandemic and a series of lockdowns in the country, the migrant workforce who lived in rented houses mostly in urban villages, slums, unauthorized colonies, peri-urban areas, etc. were forced to travel back to their native places as the lockdown severely affected their income, compelling the government to pay attention to the housing needs of the urban poor migrants leading to an additional policy under a separate vertical in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 2015 promoting the vision of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat”.
Thus, the formation of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) focuses on affordable rental housing for the urban poor catering to laborers, rickshaw pullers, street vendors, and construction workers among all the other beneficiaries.
The research was carried out through a primary survey in the form of a questionnaire for a selected economic center in the city of Delhi, a study analyzes the present living conditions of the migrant living in unauthorized colonies, unauthorized regularized colonies, urban villages, and informal settlements and the factors governing them to choose these locations. This research would act as a resource tool in changing the dynamics of rental housing choices and needs of urban poor/migrants paving a way for the opportunities and improvements through ARHCs provided in metropolitan cities like Delhi.
Keywords: ARHCs; Urban Poor Migrants; Rental Housing; Unplanned Settlement
Table of Contents
Introduction
1.1. Background
Globally with a population of 6.92 billion, approximately 1.2 billion i.e., 17.3% of people live in rented accommodation as per international studies done in 2015. “The shift from ownership to rental housing is very much evident all over the world, as rental housing is an increasing trend because of the constant rise in housing costs and demographic changes.” (Limited, 2020) Rental accommodation has become an integral part of urbanized cities.
The rapid urbanization of the cities tends to provide immense opportunities in economic as well as social aspects generating a boom in the economy and better work prospects for the citizens inviting migrants from different areas like rural to urban or urban to urban. About 45.36 Crores, i.e., 37% of the total population of India are migrants, out of which approximately 47% are concentrated in urban areas.
With the constant influx of migrants majorly settled in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc. for better job opportunities and other prospects the need for temporary housing becomes an important aspect and thus affordable rental housing becomes the first and most accessible choice for all the migrants coming to cities driving the demand for rental housing in the country.
The National Capital Delhi is the focus of this study, which is developed in a juxtaposition of planned and unplanned settlements. Unplanned settlements such as unauthorized colonies, slums, JJ colonies, and clusters, or urban villages, etc. are characterized by complex, vibrant, and dense urban fabric with predominantly mixed land use inviting the highest percentage of migrants from other states. Due to the skyrocketing price of rental houses in the metropolitan city of Delhi, it becomes unaffordable for the urban poor migrant workforce leading them to choose the rental accommodations located in places that have low rent price near their workplace such as unplanned settlements, giving the migrants an opportunity to save from the income earned.
The mid-rise high-density character of Unplanned settlements tends to create extra pressure on the already existing infrastructure as a result of the addition of migrants, in turn creating an overall burden on the city. The migrant population of Delhi estimated as per the Master Plan, 2021 is 24 lakhs which contributes to the 50% share of the total population of the city.
Looking back to the year 2020, with the hit of the Covid-19 pandemic all the major economic cities experienced reverse migration. These migrants were forced to travel back to their native places due to no income to pay the rent and no means to survive in the metropolitan cities, compelled the government to pay attention to formalize and organize the affordable rental housing sector for the urban poor migrants living in cities. This research tries to address the needs of the urban poor migrant workforces living in unplanned settlements.
The primary study is focused on one of the economic centers, Tilak Nagar Main Market, a retail market located in the heart of West Delhi which is in close proximity to these unplanned settlements. The paper is limited to studying the factors which govern or force them to stay in these locations and analyzes the present living conditions of the migrants working mainly as daily wage labourers, construction workers, street vendors and rickshaw pullers This study will act as a tool to understand the housing, providing an opportunity and improvements that can be done in the ARHCs Scheme for a metropolitan city like Delhi.
2. Methodology
To analyse the present living conditions of the urban poor migrants living in rental accommodation the research started off by selecting an economic center in Delhi with one bias that the economic center should be surrounded by residential unplanned settlements like Unauthorized colonies, JJ Colonies, Slums, Urban Villages, Unauthorized Regularized colonies, etc.
One such economic center in Delhi is Tilak Nagar Retail Market, located in the heart of the West Delhi Area. The study area comprises a major commercial street, Mall Road which stems out into different sub-lanes having a mixed-used street character. The market serves for all the basic needs such as clothing, cosmetics, footwear, jewellery, photo frames, eateries, fruit and vegetable market, flower market, hardware and electrical, lighting shops along with street vendors such as henna artists, handicrafts, etc.
The Main Market of Tilak Nagar acts as an economic generator attracting a lot of the workforce and giving open space for street vendors, rickshaw pullers, sellers, etc to earn for living. To get in-depth knowledge about the present living conditions of these workforces and the factors affecting them to choose these locations, a survey in the form of interviews, focused group discussions and site visits were done through a detailed questionnaire prepared to get the desired data.
A three-step approach was taken to collect data from a sample size of 200 urban poor migrants (tenants) living and working in the Tilak Nagar area. These approaches were as follows:
1)Individual Interviews in the economic centers of the street vendors, rickshaw pullers, etc. through a random sampling approach.
2)Visiting these unplanned settlements and identifying the rental housing units with the help of interviews to find their locations and observe the living conditions.
3)Interviewing construction workers at the economic center’s’, while conducting focused group interviews to get an insight into the factors affecting them to stay in their locations.
To achieve the objective of the research paper, a questionnaire was prepared to look for answers based on their native places, year of migration, and reason for the migration was addressed along with the age bracket, monthly income, and expenditure patterns, and asked them about their present living conditions, the rental price they pay, whether they have any agreement with the owner, whom they share the room and the number of people living, quality of the house they live in, how did they find the house, purpose of stay, amenities they enjoy.
Further, discovering answers about the factors which made them choose their present location and why they are willing to adjust themselves in these locations along with the question of whether they are satisfied living with their present conditions or willing to shift to a new location for better living standards.
While interviewing the migrants it was also important to look and observe the places where these migrant workers live at present and in what conditions they are surviving in a city like Delhi. A stroll around the commercial economic center, Tilak Nagar retail market and their adjoining residential unplanned settlements of 80 Yards Unauthorized Colony, Sant Nagar Unauthorized Regularized Colony, Chaukhandi Urban Village, Chaukhandi JJ Colony projected the answer to the question of living conditions and the amenities they need and share at present.
3. Case of Tilak Nagar economic center and adjoining rental housing
To understand the urban fabric and development, we need to dig deep into the history of the study area. The urban morphology of Tilak Nagar is the outcome of the relationship between planning attempts made by the Delhi Development Authority, and private initiatives as shown in Figure 1, the Tilak Nagar Index Plan of the Year 1961 by the Office of Town Planner. The remaining area had been developed during the Emergency (1975-1977).
A large number of slum dwellers and squatters were evicted from the central part of Delhi and were relocated to the periphery areas at that time, and they were allotted a plot of 80 Yards for resettled families without any properly planned provision, examples such as 80 Yards Colony and JJ Colony. In the nearabout villages, the farmers divided their large chunk of land into small plots and sold them privately to the buyers in an unorganized manner giving birth to unauthorized colonies, for example, Sant Nagar adjacent to Chaukhandi Urban Village. Our study area is also part of this evolutionary pattern.
Present Tilak Nagar is a mosaic of planned and unplanned settlements comprising of the Refugee colony of Tilak Nagar, a Planned Settlement. Unplanned Settlement such as 80 Yard, an unauthorized colony; Chaukhandi Village, an Urban Village; Chaukhandi JJ Colony, a JJ colony; Sant Nagar, an Unauthorised Regularised Colony. As the zone developed over time, the demand for the retail market grew and thus Tilak Nagar Main Market was brought into existence. Now it is a known vibrant retail market in West Delhi supporting thousands of migrants living in the adjoining areas (as shown in Figure 2). The study area lies in West Delhi District which comes under Zone G.
The migrants search rental accommodation near to Tilak Nagar Market which is easily walkable or accessible by para-transit modes. In the given image (Figure 3), we can see that the adjoining unplanned settlements to the economic centre give the opportunity for cheap rental housing within a few kilometres of walking proximity.
Table 1: Distance from the workplace
| Settlement Name | Distance from Workplace |
| 80 Yards Unauthorised Colony | 1 KM |
| Chaukhandi JJ Colony | 1.2 KM |
| Chaukhandi Urban Village | 1.1 KM |
| Khayla B-Block Unauthorised Colony | 2.1 KM |
| Nangli Jalib Urban Village | 1.3 KM |
| Uttam Nagar | 4.7 KM |
The survey done in the study area projected that predominantly there are three areas which are in close proximity to the Tilak Nagar Main Market where most of the migrants choose to live, which are 80 Yard Colony, Chaukhandi Urban Village and Chaukhandi JJ Colony.
80 yards (Unauthorized Colony)
The 80 Yards unauthorized colony is a vibrant, low-rise, high-density area with 67 sqm plots, many of which have been subdivided over time as families grew. This area features a fine-grained urban fabric with predominantly permanent pucca houses. The lack of development rules has led to unregulated construction, resulting in the encroachment of public and semi-public spaces, including roads, internal streets, and open areas.
Its strategic location, just 10–15 minutes’ walk (within a 1 km radius) from the Tilak Nagar Main Market and Old Market Road, makes it an attractive choice for migrants. The colony offers affordable rentals ranging from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 8,000 per month, depending on room size and amenities.
Chaukhandi (Urban Village)
Chaukhandi Urban Village, located 1.1 km from the main market, has varied plot sizes and building heights governed by ownership, falling under Lal Dora regulations without formal byelaws. Most plots feature permanent pucca houses. Rentals range from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 per month, depending on room size and available amenities.
Chaukhandi (JJ colony)
Chaukhandi JJ Colony, located 1.2 km from the main market, differs significantly in its planned urban fabric and smaller plot sizes of 25 yards (21 sqm). The colony features G+3 buildings with narrow streets, public open spaces, and one-room units with attached toilets and separate kitchens. Rentals range from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 per month, depending on the building’s condition and available amenities.
Present Living Condition and Parameters to choose the location
To elaborate further on the present living condition of migrant workforces and the factors behind choosing their specific location, a survey was done which gave light to the following results.
It is clearly evident that most of the migrants are Street vendors (44%) followed by 24% Rickshaw pullers, 20% construction workers and rest labourers (Figure 9) the age bracket of 18-28 years (i.e., 36.6%) as shown in Figure 9 mostly from Uttar Pradesh (51%), Bihar (45%) and approximately 3% from Rajasthan, living in nearby Urban Village, Unauthorised Colonies, and JJ Colonies are amongst the top 3 rental housing accommodation, where they share a single room with 3-4 people without any rental agreement and low rental prices of Rs. 3000-4000/- per month equally divided between the tenants.
These rooms are just plastered walls and sometimes without plaster only brick mortar walls and have a single fan and cement concrete cracked flooring without a separate kitchen area where they cook food inside this small room itself. Talking more about the basic amenities, there is no attached toilet in the rooms and hence these migrants have to use a common sharing toilet for bathing, etc. These toilets are dingy, smelly, unhygienic, dark, and not ventilated sometimes don’t even have a proper door or are only covered with a curtain. These types of rental accommodations in the Tilak Nagar area are most commonly found in 80 Yards Unauthorized Colonies and Chaukhandi Urban Villages.
Most of the urban poor migrants lived in housing units that were dilapidated and in extremely bad conditions. These were easily identified in the study area. These rental housing units are not maintained by the tenants as well as the owners. But the tenants live in these conditions where there are cheap rental prices to save the extra costs such as maintenance. Thus, while choosing the rental accommodation these migrants focus on staying close to their family and friends. The figure below shows approximately 56% of the migrants live and share the room with Friends while 46% live with family in the area as shown in Figure 9.
Vidhyanath, a 60-year-old laborer from Bihar, lives in a poorly maintained rental accommodation in an 80-yard unauthorized colony in Tilak Nagar. He shares his cramped, unventilated room with three other male migrants, with minimal facilities—a single fan, a small cooking area, and no beds, forcing them to sleep on cement floors. The corridors are dirty and stained with paan, and the shared toilets and bathing areas are unhygienic, with leaking taps. The temporary roof is made of stone and bricks.
The building has 25 rooms across two floors, each shared by 3-4 tenants, mostly migrants from the same district in Bihar working as laborers. These housing units, often overcrowded and neglected, are viewed as mere income sources for owners, with little interest from either side in improving conditions. They exemplify “petty capitalist” ventures exploiting vulnerable groups.
In unplanned settlements, some housing units had owners living on the ground floor and renting out upper floors to tenants, often migrants with families or slightly higher incomes. These units charged higher rents and represented a “petty bourgeoisie” model, where landlords improved homes for extra income. In areas like Chaukhandi Urban Village, larger plots allowed owners to build multiple single-sharing rooms for male migrants, resembling the overcrowded and poor conditions of 80-yard units.
In contrast, JJ Colonies offered smaller plots (25 yards) with higher rental prices. These units had individual kitchens and toilets, making them more suitable for migrant families in a higher-income bracket. Harilal Chaurasiya, a migrant in such a colony for 10 years, paid Rs. 6,000 monthly for a one-room flat. These colonies appealed to families prioritizing better living conditions, unlike pro-poor migrants in Chaukhandi Village, who chose cheaper, overcrowded accommodations near friends and relatives to save money while focusing on earning.
In Tilak Nagar Market near the Main Road, hundreds of migrant laborers, including construction workers, painters, plumbers, and electricians, gather daily seeking work. Interviews and discussions revealed that these laborers often live together in the same buildings with family, friends, or acquaintances, typically from the same native place.
Also Read: Assessing the factors influencing variations in Residential Rental Housing Delhi: The case of Delhi
Conclusion
Research highlights the poor living conditions of migrants in rental accommodations, often in dilapidated units characterized by “petty capitalism.” These units, ranging from 4–9 sqm and shared by 4–8 people, offer approximately 1 sqm per person and cost around Rs. 1000/month when shared, making them appealing despite poor conditions. Migrants typically use these spaces for sleeping, prioritizing proximity to work, affordability, and minimal maintenance costs over quality.
In unauthorized colonies and urban villages, rents for better facilities like separate kitchens and toilets range from Rs. 6000–7000/month, which is unaffordable for many families. JJ Colonies provide smaller units with individual amenities, catering to families at lower costs. Migrants tend to live near friends, family, or people from the same hometown, often with informal rental agreements.
The Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) scheme offers livable room sizes but needs to ensure cheap rents and proximity to economic centers to meet urban poor migrants’ needs. It is recommended that the scheme adapt to the specific living and working conditions in metropolitan areas.
4.1.1. Figures & Tables
Figure 1: Location Plan of Tilak Nagar………………………………………………………………………….3
Figure 2: Tilak Nagar Market……………………………………………………………………………………….4
Figure 3: Index Plan of Tilak Nagar in 1961…………………………………………………………………..5
Figure 4: Tilak Nagar and its surrounding Settlements…………………………………………………….6
Figure 5: Distance of unplanned settlements from the economic center…………………………….7
Figure 6: 80 Yards Colony……………………………………………………………………………………………7
Figure 7: Chaukhandi Urban Village……………………………………………………………………………..8
Figure 8: Chaukhandi JJ Colony…………………………………………………………………………………..9
Figure 9: Analysis of the study area……………………………………………………………………………10
Figure 10: Living Conditions of Migrants……………………………………………………………………..11
Figure 11: Another type of Rental Housing………………………………………………………………….12
Figure 12: Construction Workers in Tilak Nagar Market…………………………………………………13
Table 1: Proposed DU’s/ Dormitories…………………………………….Error! Bookmark not defined.
Table 2: Distance from the workplace……………………………………………………………………………6
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