Beneath The Concrete: The Rising Calamity of Homelessness in Nepal

Over 250,000 people in Nepal live without a permanent home. Homelessness is a hidden crisis, often overlooked, yet it is rapidly escalating across urban centers. 

Nepal’s homelessness challenge is not just a social issue—it is a socio-economic emergency impacting the country’s development goals and urban growth. While rural poverty remains, the crisis is most visible in cities like Kathmandu, where rapid, unplanned migration and soaring housing costs strain limited infrastructure. 

The Scale of Vulnerability 

Recent data paints a stark picture: 

• 250,000 people are experiencing literal homelessness, sleeping on streets, in temples, or abandoned buildings.  
• Approximately 2.8 million people (around 10% of Nepal’s population) live in substandard slum conditions, often without access to clean water, sanitation, or electricity.  

In Kathmandu, slum settlements, or sukumbasi, have emerged along riverbanks and other marginalized areas, leaving thousands of families—including many children—in precarious living conditions. 

Why Homelessness Persists 

Homelessness in Nepal is driven by interconnected socio-economic and environmental factors: 

1. Migration and Urbanization 
Rapid rural-to-urban migration, driven by economic disparity, has caused unplanned growth in the Kathmandu Valley. Internal migration is expanding urban populations at 4% annually, overwhelming housing and infrastructure (MDPI Research). 

2. Poverty and Economic Inequality 
High urban housing costs prevent legal tenancy for the 25% of Nepalis living in poverty. Initiatives such as closing Nepal’s gender digital gap and leveraging EdTech aim to improve economic mobility (The Borgen Project, 2025–2026). 

3. Natural Disasters 
Earthquakes, floods, and landslides frequently destroy homes, creating new groups of homeless individuals. 

4. Social and Personal Factors 
Family abandonment, domestic violence, mental illness, and limited education contribute to homelessness, disproportionately affecting children and the elderly. 

Impact on Vulnerable Communities 

Urban families living under plastic-roofed shelters face dual threats: environmental hazards and the risk of forced evictions. Marginalized families often lose both homes and legal identity, perpetuating cycles of poverty, child labor, and social exclusion (2025 report). 

Steps Towards Solutions 

Rescue and Rehabilitation 
Manavsewa Ashram, in partnership with Kathmandu Metropolitan City, rescues, cares for, and reunites street-dependent individuals with families. Over 1,600 people are already housed across Ashram branches. 

Multi-Storied Housing Projects 
The Government of Nepal is constructing multi-storied buildings to resettle families from riverbank slums. 

Target 2082 BS 
The government aims to eliminate street-dependency by 2082 BS, guided by the Street Children Special Protection Guidelines 2082. 

Comprehensive Strategies 
Experts recommend long-term solutions: 

• Implement affordable housing policies within urban planning.  
• Enforce the Right to Housing Act 2018.  
• Provide livelihood opportunities and social services for urban poor populations.  

Volunteer and Community Action 
Manavsewa Ashram plans to train 1,000 full-time campaigners and 100,000 volunteers by 2082 BS, aiming to create a more compassionate society.