Research Project Examines Kerala's Gulf-Funded Vacant Mansions and Social Impact

Through their initiative Another Empty House (2020–), Juneida Abdul Jabber, Shahnaz Hashim, and Zahra Mansoor are investigating the numerous often-unoccupied residences financed by Gulf remittances in Kerala. Their video collage, Weight of Emptiness (2021), centers on the Mappila Muslim community, portraying these deserted homes as living entities that embody occupancy cycles. According to the 2018 Kerala Migration Survey, 2.1 million Keralites live abroad, with 89% residing in Gulf countries, contributing approximately 850 million rupees in remittances. The 2011 census revealed that Kerala has 1.19 million vacant houses, exceeding the national average. These Gulf-funded homes frequently act as symbols of status, remaining unoccupied for as long as ten months. Migration trends have historical roots, intensifying during the oil boom of the 1970s, leading to intricate social issues.