Covid-19 and Exodus of Migrants: Inference from Housing Prices in Delhi-NCR

The nation-wide lockdown to address the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in loss of job and income for a large section of working population in India. The problem became severe for the migrants who work in the urban informal economy. Among the various factors, the severity of their problem could be due to exorbitant housing prices in the cities. Against this back drop the present study intended to explore the housing prices in Delhi-NCR, the home to millions of informal migrants, and to infer about its implications for the latter. The study finds that in recent years, apart from exorbitant rise, the housing prices in Delhi-NCR have been inequitable for various income groups. It might have resulted in high rental cost and unhealthy living for the informal migrants. As result, in the face of loss of employment and income, they might have thought it wise to return to their villages by any means.