Current regulations in Jakarta exemplify this punitive stance. Jakarta Bylaw No. 8/2007, Article 40, allows for fines or jail time for street musicians, alms seekers or windshield cleaners. Government Regulation (PP) No. 31/1980 even permits prosecuting individuals simply for being homeless or begging. These ordinances contradict Article 34(1) of the 1945 Constitution, which mandates state care for the poor. This glaring discrepancy punishes the very people the state is constitutionally obligated to protect.

Despite a slight decline to 4.3 percent in Jakarta's poverty rate as of March 2024, hundreds of thousands still face economic hardship. Instead of addressing root causes like lack of affordable housing, limited education and precarious employment, these regulations criminalize survival tactics.

This outdated perspective, echoing historical European approaches that viewed homeless individuals as criminals, continues to shape Indonesian policy. What is needed are comprehensive policies aligned with constitutional commitments, offering social support instead of punishment.

Reliable data on homelessness in Jakarta is severely lacking. Government records often categorize individuals under broad social welfare labels like Individuals with Social Welfare Problems (PMKS) or Individuals Requiring Social Welfare Services (PPKS), which encompass various vulnerable groups, rendering homelessness invisible in policy design and budgeting.

Unlike 36 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with national estimates, Indonesia lacks official figures. While local researchers estimated up to 77,500 homeless individuals by 2019, the absence of up-to-date government statistics highlights how homelessness remains unaddressed in national policy priorities.

The Indonesian government continues to treat homelessness as a public nuisance rather than a symptom of deeper structural inequality. Through institutional and ad hoc crackdowns, authorities attempt to remove homeless individuals from public view in urban spaces like sidewalks and parks. These repressive efforts often involve coordinated raids by the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), police and social service agencies, perpetuating a cycle of displacement rather than support.