The population of an Indian city is a complex mix of residents from different social strata. In Mumbai, there is a slum population that cannot afford to purchase a house. They squat on public land and trade goods through hawking. They can't afford to buy a house and are forced to live in substandard quarters. The prices of real estate in the slums have skyrocketed from INR 3,725 in 2003 to US$18,623 in 2012.
The population of Mumbai varies from lower class colonies to high-rise buildings. Slums are often interspersed between the high-rise buildings. Thousands of people live in rudimentary structures that are not classified as slums by the Census of India. With such a large population and a lack of government policy, housing in Mumbai has become an issue. Population growth and a shortage of land have led to this housing shortage.
The lack of public infrastructure and poverty increases the chances of social deviance. Large families with limited resources contribute to social disruption and a lack of control. In addition, communities with high social disruption tend to have lower participation in local efforts and voluntary organizations. Houses are crowded, making privacy difficult. Despite the disparity, many slums are not as bad as they are made out to be.
In addition to the lack of affordable housing, the low-income residents of Indian City have fewer resources and less access to healthcare and employment. As a result, a large percentage of these citizens live in substandard conditions. In some cases, they are even homeless. However, there is no way to know the extent of this problem without knowing where to look. And even if they are able to afford housing, they must still be screened to avoid discrimination.