Mumbai’s Women Face Housing Crisis Amid Rising Demand For Safe Student Hostels

Every year Mumbai attracts lakhs of working women and female students coming to fulfill their dream of becoming independent and building successful careers. Mumbai has several hostels run by government, NGOs and private owners yet they find it difficult to secure suitable housing in Mumbai.

Sukhman Preet Kaur, a student of Xavier’s college living in a rented paying guest accommodation in Marine lines, said she faces safety issues if paying guest accommodations are located in isolated lanes, “ We have to compromise on space to live near the college. “

Vidhi Pode, a student of Kishinchand Chellaram College living in paying guest accommodation in Marine lines, said she went through difficult times adjusting with her roommates," Managing food and other expenses in a limited budget is a task.”

According to Magicbricks.com , Mumbai has 1483 hostels and paying guest accommodations for working women and female students listed on their website. Out of which only 149 are claimed to be verified. Sakhi Niwas BMC Women’s Hostel, a government hostel set up under Sakhi Niwas scheme, in Goregaon, has about 180 seats. Government hostels like Matoshree Government College Hostel, located in Churchgate, have 332 seats, and another, Savitribai Phule hostel, in Charni road has 450 seats. The latter has gone into redevelopment. These are facilities provided for students studying in 11 government colleges in Mumbai.

One of the largest universities, University of Mumbai has 7 government hostels listed on its website for women. However, female students coming to study in Mumbai are much more than combined seats in these hostels. The process to apply for a seat requires applying on hosteladmission.com . A student of Government Law College, Mumbai said she was placed on a lengthy waitlist and subsequently had to live in private paying guest accommodation.

Mumbai has hostels run by NGOs, which provide affordable housing for working women and students. Hostels like YWCA - Lady Willingdon Hostel, in Fort have around 60 to 65 seats, Smt. Kesarabai Bhimani Working Women’s Hostel, in Juhu and Mahila Vikas Mandal Women’s Hostel, in Nariman Point both have around 100 seats.

The housing provided by existing government hostels and NGOs is not enough, often receiving hundreds of applications while a fraction of applicants get a seat. While some government hostels do not provide seats to students from autonomous or private colleges.

Due to lack of available seats in government and NGO led hostels, women are forced to go to private paying guest and hostel owners. These private facilities charge between Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 per month depending on the room you choose. A single room By Livlit properties in Prabhadevi, costs Rs. 80,000 per month.

Women coming to study or work face difficulties in finding a good housing facility. They face moral policing, discrimination on the basis of religion and strict curfew hours. For the ones who find a place have to go through rules like, no visitors allowed or non - vegetarian food not allowed in the premises.

Students complain about lack of food facilities in hostels and paying guest accommodations, leaving no choice but to order or have street food, risking their health causing food poisoning. Some report hygiene issues even after daily cleaning due to small and shared washrooms. Living in paying guest accommodations comes with curfew hours and rules while they lack privacy.The rents they pay do not align with given facilities. Many complain about the high security deposit and brokerage. Some are made to pay brokerage even after being referred from their friends. Due to a significant number of scammers in the market, many struggle to find good contacts.

Also Watch:

For the female students who opt for flats, instead of hostels or paying guest accommodations, the situation worsens. In addition to rent they have to pay electricity, internet and househelp charges. Often exploited by landlords with no compensation for repairs, arbitrarily imposing fines while charging it from their security deposit amount. It is anyway difficult for a bachelor female to secure a flat for rent in Mumbai, imposing unnecessary rules adds more to their suffering. Several landlords take advantage of young tenants by adding unfair clauses in their contract.

Manasvi, a student of Jai Hind College, living in a shared flat in Andheri said, “There should be a clear difference between tenancy and paying guest renting contracts.”

The parents feel less facilities being provided against the rent charged. They have safety concerns for which women end up paying more than men for the same facilities masked as the safe housing facility. The escalating number of working women and female students in upcoming years demands an increase in the number of affordable and dedicated working women and female student housing facilities.