Six in 10 of the homeless interviewed in nationwide study were working, mostly in low-wage jobs
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2019
The first nationwide study of homelessness in Singapore found that about 1,000 people were sleeping on the street.
They were sleeping rough in most parts of the island, but more were found in the older and larger housing estates such as in the city area, Bedok and Kallang.
These areas also had more rental flats, as homelessness is linked to poverty. The study did not specify which areas in the city it was referring to.
Over eight in 10 of the homeless were men and of those interviewed, six in 10 were working, mostly in low-wage jobs like cleaning and as security guards.
Half the number had been toughing it out on the streets for between one and five years, and nearly one-third did so for six years or longer.
They slept in places like void decks, commercial buildings and playgrounds.
The study was done by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore.
He led a team of close to 500 volunteer fieldworkers who covered 12,000 blocks of flats and other public and commercial spaces over three months to count the numbers sleeping on the streets.
The fieldworkers, who started work after 11.30pm, recorded the number of people who were asleep or going to sleep in public spaces. These rough sleepers also had some form of bedding or many belongings.
The study also interviewed 88 of the homeless people.
Prof Ng said: "Homelessness exists in Singapore. But despite growing policy and public attention in recent years, the size of the homeless population in Singapore is not known. Knowing the number of homeless people and where they may be found allows services to be designed and organised in a systematic way."
The study, which was released yesterday, is an independent one funded by a research grant from the LKYSPP. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also helped to mobilise social workers for the street count and asked the homeless interviewed if they are willing to seek help from government or social service agencies.
The key findings include:
• Some six in 10 of the homeless were working but their median wage was $1,400 a month, compared with the national median wage of $3,467.
• About half said they were sleeping on the street as they were unemployed, did not have regular jobs or earned very little. So they could not pay their rent or mortgage, or they had sold their house. Family conflicts and break-ups were cited as another main reason for homelessness.
• Some 26 per cent either rented a flat from the Housing Board at highly subsidised rates or bought an HDB flat. However, some chose not to go home because of conflicts with their co-tenant.
• Some 40 per cent of those interviewed had sought help in the past year. They did so from a number of places including the Social Service Offices which administer the Government's financial aid schemes or their Member of Parliament.
Prof Ng noted the complexity of their problems, saying that could be a reason why 40 per cent sought help but still found it hard to break out of their homeless predicament.
Mr Lee Kim Hua, a senior director at MSF, said the ministry defined a homeless person as someone "who feels he has no home to go back to, whether he owns a house or is renting a place".
He said: "As long as he doesn't feel safe going back at night to sleep, we take it as homelessness."
Mr Lee said the ministry has stepped up its partnership with community groups to reach out to and aid the homeless over the past two years. This is needed, as among other reasons, some of the homeless may be afraid of and shun help from the authorities but not staff and volunteers from charities.
So the key is for the community groups to engage them and build trust, and when they are ready, the ministry can extend the help needed.
The ministry has brought together the different groups helping the homeless and in July, the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network was launched. It now has 26 members, such as the Catholic Welfare Services and the Homeless Hearts of Singapore.
Mr Lee said that the ministry is working with the PEERS Network to build an interim shelter for those sleeping on the streets.
There are currently three transitional shelters catering to the homeless.
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2019
They were sleeping rough in most parts of the island, but more were found in the older and larger housing estates such as in the city area, Bedok and Kallang.
These areas also had more rental flats, as homelessness is linked to poverty. The study did not specify which areas in the city it was referring to.
Over eight in 10 of the homeless were men and of those interviewed, six in 10 were working, mostly in low-wage jobs like cleaning and as security guards.
Half the number had been toughing it out on the streets for between one and five years, and nearly one-third did so for six years or longer.
They slept in places like void decks, commercial buildings and playgrounds.
The study was done by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore.
He led a team of close to 500 volunteer fieldworkers who covered 12,000 blocks of flats and other public and commercial spaces over three months to count the numbers sleeping on the streets.
The fieldworkers, who started work after 11.30pm, recorded the number of people who were asleep or going to sleep in public spaces. These rough sleepers also had some form of bedding or many belongings.
The study also interviewed 88 of the homeless people.
Prof Ng said: "Homelessness exists in Singapore. But despite growing policy and public attention in recent years, the size of the homeless population in Singapore is not known. Knowing the number of homeless people and where they may be found allows services to be designed and organised in a systematic way."
The study, which was released yesterday, is an independent one funded by a research grant from the LKYSPP. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also helped to mobilise social workers for the street count and asked the homeless interviewed if they are willing to seek help from government or social service agencies.
The key findings include:
• Some six in 10 of the homeless were working but their median wage was $1,400 a month, compared with the national median wage of $3,467.
• About half said they were sleeping on the street as they were unemployed, did not have regular jobs or earned very little. So they could not pay their rent or mortgage, or they had sold their house. Family conflicts and break-ups were cited as another main reason for homelessness.
• Some 26 per cent either rented a flat from the Housing Board at highly subsidised rates or bought an HDB flat. However, some chose not to go home because of conflicts with their co-tenant.
• Some 40 per cent of those interviewed had sought help in the past year. They did so from a number of places including the Social Service Offices which administer the Government's financial aid schemes or their Member of Parliament.
Prof Ng noted the complexity of their problems, saying that could be a reason why 40 per cent sought help but still found it hard to break out of their homeless predicament.
Mr Lee Kim Hua, a senior director at MSF, said the ministry defined a homeless person as someone "who feels he has no home to go back to, whether he owns a house or is renting a place".
He said: "As long as he doesn't feel safe going back at night to sleep, we take it as homelessness."
Mr Lee said the ministry has stepped up its partnership with community groups to reach out to and aid the homeless over the past two years. This is needed, as among other reasons, some of the homeless may be afraid of and shun help from the authorities but not staff and volunteers from charities.
So the key is for the community groups to engage them and build trust, and when they are ready, the ministry can extend the help needed.
The ministry has brought together the different groups helping the homeless and in July, the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network was launched. It now has 26 members, such as the Catholic Welfare Services and the Homeless Hearts of Singapore.
Mr Lee said that the ministry is working with the PEERS Network to build an interim shelter for those sleeping on the streets.
There are currently three transitional shelters catering to the homeless.
Researcher suggests removing joint tenancy requirement for rental flats
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2019
The researcher who came up with the first nationwide street count of the homeless here has drawn up a host of recommendations to better tackle the issue.
Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore said that the design and funding of shelter services have to be commensurate with the complexity of the underlying causes of homelessness.
Prof Ng, whose research interests include public housing policy, said: "Shelter services that impose a short, arbitrary duration of stay are unlikely to be adequate or acceptable."
A Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman told The Straits Times that there are now three transitional shelters, which provide temporary accommodation for the homeless.
Social workers will work with the homeless to address their problems, such as employment or family issues, and help them move into long-term housing.
The MSF hopes to move residents in these shelters into long-term and stable housing within six months, but an extension of stay can be granted if social workers deem they need more time to resolve their problems.
Another area which Prof Ng highlighted was the Destitute Persons Act, which he felt causes the homeless much anxiety as they are afraid of being sent into welfare homes against their wishes.
The MSF spokesman said that only a small minority of those found sleeping on the streets are considered destitute under the Act.
The destitute refers to those who are unable to care for themselves and have no family support.
They are encouraged to stay in welfare homes for their safety and well-being. Besides, residents can be discharged when they are assessed to be ready to reintegrate into the community.
The spokesman stressed that statutory powers are exercised only as the last resort in instances where the person's safety is deemed to be at risk, or when he lacks the mental capacity to make informed decisions for his own welfare.
Prof Ng said the Housing Board can improve the eligibility criteria and the space provided in its public rental flats.
Under the joint singles scheme, a single person must pair up with another single person to rent a one-room HDB flat. Some of those sleeping on the streets have a rental unit under this scheme, but they choose to rough it out on the streets as they have had conflicts with their roommate, interviews with the homeless found.
Said Prof Ng: "The joint tenancy requirement deprives residents of basic privacy, creates conflict among co-tenants and should be removed."
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2019
Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore said that the design and funding of shelter services have to be commensurate with the complexity of the underlying causes of homelessness.
Prof Ng, whose research interests include public housing policy, said: "Shelter services that impose a short, arbitrary duration of stay are unlikely to be adequate or acceptable."
A Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman told The Straits Times that there are now three transitional shelters, which provide temporary accommodation for the homeless.
Social workers will work with the homeless to address their problems, such as employment or family issues, and help them move into long-term housing.
The MSF hopes to move residents in these shelters into long-term and stable housing within six months, but an extension of stay can be granted if social workers deem they need more time to resolve their problems.
Another area which Prof Ng highlighted was the Destitute Persons Act, which he felt causes the homeless much anxiety as they are afraid of being sent into welfare homes against their wishes.
The MSF spokesman said that only a small minority of those found sleeping on the streets are considered destitute under the Act.
The destitute refers to those who are unable to care for themselves and have no family support.
They are encouraged to stay in welfare homes for their safety and well-being. Besides, residents can be discharged when they are assessed to be ready to reintegrate into the community.
The spokesman stressed that statutory powers are exercised only as the last resort in instances where the person's safety is deemed to be at risk, or when he lacks the mental capacity to make informed decisions for his own welfare.
Prof Ng said the Housing Board can improve the eligibility criteria and the space provided in its public rental flats.
Under the joint singles scheme, a single person must pair up with another single person to rent a one-room HDB flat. Some of those sleeping on the streets have a rental unit under this scheme, but they choose to rough it out on the streets as they have had conflicts with their roommate, interviews with the homeless found.
Said Prof Ng: "The joint tenancy requirement deprives residents of basic privacy, creates conflict among co-tenants and should be removed."
More offer refuge for the homeless
Network of charities, religious groups working with Govt to provide shelter, aid has expanded
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 10 Nov 2019
The homeless roughing it out in Singapore have more organisations around the island to turn to for refuge for the night, with the network of charities and religious groups collaborating with the Government to provide shelter and assistance expanding in the past six months.
This comes as the first nationwide street count of the homeless found about 1,000 people sleeping on the streets.
The survey by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy showed that homeless people could be found in most parts of the island.
By the fourth quarter of this year, Sultan Mosque in Muscat Street and the Yio Chu Kang Chapel will join four churches, a temple and a charity in providing a place for the homeless.
The Church of Christ the King in Ang Mo Kio opened its premises last year. It was joined later by the Church of St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok; the New Hope Community Services, a charity that helps the homeless; the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown; the Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church; and the Toa Payoh Methodist Church. The last two opened their doors in September.
These Safe Sound Sleeping Places, as they are called, are in addition to efforts by the Government and charities in providing welfare and crisis shelters to the destitute and victims of domestic violence.
The spurt in refuges for sleepers in the rough was a result of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) stepping up its partnership efforts in the past two years with the different community groups aiding the homeless.
The ministry has strengthened coordination between the different government agencies tackling the issues facing this vulnerable group, a spokesman for MSF said.
In May last year, an inter-agency task force was formally set up to review policies, programmes and protocols to address homelessness and the issues they face, with a focus on building strong community partnerships. The task force now has 11 government agencies, including the Housing Board, Manpower Ministry and the Singapore Police Force.
"We want to ensure that all rough sleepers whom we encounter are offered help where needed. Working closely with our community partners helps us to more effectively address rough sleeping as some (homeless) individuals are hesitant to work with government agencies," the MSF spokesman told The Sunday Times.
One major development - the MSF has brought together and now works with the various community groups that befriend these rough sleepers via the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network.
Launched in July, the network now has 26 members, including the Homeless Hearts of Singapore group.
Mr Lee Kim Hua, a senior director at the MSF, said the ministry defines a homeless person as someone who feels he is unable to go home, even though he may own a home or is renting a flat. "As long as he doesn't feel safe going back at night to sleep, we take it as homelessness," he said.
The New Hope Community Services, which has shelters in various parts of Singapore, also runs a transitional shelter for the homeless at its Jalan Kukoh premises. It offers them a longer-term stay, of up to six months, while its social workers try to find them a job and long-term housing options, said its director of social work Lilian Ong.
For its Safe Sound Sleeping Place, the rough sleepers are often put up for a few nights or so before they move to a transitional shelter, she said.
Ms Jaslyn Goh, an assistant director at the MSF, said of the Safe Sound Sleeping Places initiative: "We had so many (homeless) uncles telling us their things were stolen and it's not safe for them. And when you sleep out, you don't get a good night's rest.
"When they get even a few nights of good sleep, they are in a better frame of mind to deal with their issues, be it to seek employment or financial aid."
With the formation of the PEERS network, more people sleeping on the streets are getting the help they need, said the MSF spokesman. There is also better coordination and synergy in the delivery of services with the network, which has engaged 157 homeless persons since last year.
In the past three years, the MSF admitted 290 individuals on average each year to transitional shelters and welfare homes, and an average of about 180 families a year to transitional shelters and crisis shelters.
Crisis shelters provide refuge for those who suffered family violence, while welfare homes house the destitute who have no family support and are unable to live independently in the community.
There are currently three transitional shelters and 11 welfare homes. The MSF said last Friday that it is looking to build another interim shelter for those sleeping on the streets.
Ms Goh said some of the rough sleepers refuse to go to a shelter as they prefer to be alone and they do not want to share a room with others, among other reasons.
However, the ministry and its partners will continue to engage them, even if they reject help at first. This is to help them resolve their issues, including housing arrangements.
Homeless Hearts of Singapore was started in 2014 by volunteers who had befriended the homeless and given them food.
Twice every month, the group visits the city area looking out for homeless people.
Its founder Abraham Yeo said the group has come across between five and 10 homeless people each night, with most sleeping in HDB void decks. The homeless are often in their 40s to 60s, and many hold low-wage jobs, such as cleaners and security guards.
Mr Yeo said the homeless are often victims of circumstances. "When you get hit with enough hard blows, relationships become very strained and things start to tumble," he added.
The volunteers said some of the homeless share a highly subsidised rental flat but would rather rough it out as they cannot get along with their flatmates.
On a recent walk with Homeless Hearts in central Singapore, The Sunday Times found seven men sleeping in the rough. One of them, who gave his name as Mr Low, used to live in an HDB rental flat until he came to blows with his flatmate and moved out after the fight.
Mr Low, a 58-year-old bachelor, has been sleeping at a void deck for the past six months. The former security guard receives $450 a month in financial aid from the Government. He has diabetes and has lost two toes due to the disease, and does odd jobs to survive.
He is not keen to move to a transitional shelter as he feels it would be hard to get along with others, although he hopes to get a rental flat one day.
He said in Mandarin: "I feel more carefree sleeping on the streets. It's very windy and I don't have to pay rent."
Network of charities, religious groups working with Govt to provide shelter, aid has expanded
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 10 Nov 2019
The homeless roughing it out in Singapore have more organisations around the island to turn to for refuge for the night, with the network of charities and religious groups collaborating with the Government to provide shelter and assistance expanding in the past six months.
This comes as the first nationwide street count of the homeless found about 1,000 people sleeping on the streets.
The survey by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy showed that homeless people could be found in most parts of the island.
By the fourth quarter of this year, Sultan Mosque in Muscat Street and the Yio Chu Kang Chapel will join four churches, a temple and a charity in providing a place for the homeless.
The Church of Christ the King in Ang Mo Kio opened its premises last year. It was joined later by the Church of St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok; the New Hope Community Services, a charity that helps the homeless; the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown; the Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church; and the Toa Payoh Methodist Church. The last two opened their doors in September.
These Safe Sound Sleeping Places, as they are called, are in addition to efforts by the Government and charities in providing welfare and crisis shelters to the destitute and victims of domestic violence.
The spurt in refuges for sleepers in the rough was a result of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) stepping up its partnership efforts in the past two years with the different community groups aiding the homeless.
The ministry has strengthened coordination between the different government agencies tackling the issues facing this vulnerable group, a spokesman for MSF said.
In May last year, an inter-agency task force was formally set up to review policies, programmes and protocols to address homelessness and the issues they face, with a focus on building strong community partnerships. The task force now has 11 government agencies, including the Housing Board, Manpower Ministry and the Singapore Police Force.
"We want to ensure that all rough sleepers whom we encounter are offered help where needed. Working closely with our community partners helps us to more effectively address rough sleeping as some (homeless) individuals are hesitant to work with government agencies," the MSF spokesman told The Sunday Times.
One major development - the MSF has brought together and now works with the various community groups that befriend these rough sleepers via the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network.
Launched in July, the network now has 26 members, including the Homeless Hearts of Singapore group.
Mr Lee Kim Hua, a senior director at the MSF, said the ministry defines a homeless person as someone who feels he is unable to go home, even though he may own a home or is renting a flat. "As long as he doesn't feel safe going back at night to sleep, we take it as homelessness," he said.
The New Hope Community Services, which has shelters in various parts of Singapore, also runs a transitional shelter for the homeless at its Jalan Kukoh premises. It offers them a longer-term stay, of up to six months, while its social workers try to find them a job and long-term housing options, said its director of social work Lilian Ong.
For its Safe Sound Sleeping Place, the rough sleepers are often put up for a few nights or so before they move to a transitional shelter, she said.
Ms Jaslyn Goh, an assistant director at the MSF, said of the Safe Sound Sleeping Places initiative: "We had so many (homeless) uncles telling us their things were stolen and it's not safe for them. And when you sleep out, you don't get a good night's rest.
"When they get even a few nights of good sleep, they are in a better frame of mind to deal with their issues, be it to seek employment or financial aid."
With the formation of the PEERS network, more people sleeping on the streets are getting the help they need, said the MSF spokesman. There is also better coordination and synergy in the delivery of services with the network, which has engaged 157 homeless persons since last year.
In the past three years, the MSF admitted 290 individuals on average each year to transitional shelters and welfare homes, and an average of about 180 families a year to transitional shelters and crisis shelters.
Crisis shelters provide refuge for those who suffered family violence, while welfare homes house the destitute who have no family support and are unable to live independently in the community.
There are currently three transitional shelters and 11 welfare homes. The MSF said last Friday that it is looking to build another interim shelter for those sleeping on the streets.
Ms Goh said some of the rough sleepers refuse to go to a shelter as they prefer to be alone and they do not want to share a room with others, among other reasons.
However, the ministry and its partners will continue to engage them, even if they reject help at first. This is to help them resolve their issues, including housing arrangements.
Homeless Hearts of Singapore was started in 2014 by volunteers who had befriended the homeless and given them food.
Twice every month, the group visits the city area looking out for homeless people.
Its founder Abraham Yeo said the group has come across between five and 10 homeless people each night, with most sleeping in HDB void decks. The homeless are often in their 40s to 60s, and many hold low-wage jobs, such as cleaners and security guards.
Mr Yeo said the homeless are often victims of circumstances. "When you get hit with enough hard blows, relationships become very strained and things start to tumble," he added.
The volunteers said some of the homeless share a highly subsidised rental flat but would rather rough it out as they cannot get along with their flatmates.
On a recent walk with Homeless Hearts in central Singapore, The Sunday Times found seven men sleeping in the rough. One of them, who gave his name as Mr Low, used to live in an HDB rental flat until he came to blows with his flatmate and moved out after the fight.
Mr Low, a 58-year-old bachelor, has been sleeping at a void deck for the past six months. The former security guard receives $450 a month in financial aid from the Government. He has diabetes and has lost two toes due to the disease, and does odd jobs to survive.
He is not keen to move to a transitional shelter as he feels it would be hard to get along with others, although he hopes to get a rental flat one day.
He said in Mandarin: "I feel more carefree sleeping on the streets. It's very windy and I don't have to pay rent."
No home, but he turned up neatly dressed for job
Homeless man says people see them as trouble makers, vagabonds or beggars
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 10 Nov 2019
Despite being homeless for a decade, none of his colleagues had any clue he had been sleeping rough at void decks, in parks and even in carparks.
Mr Lee, a 61-year-old who declined to give his full name, would show up at his dish-washing job at a restaurant neatly dressed, revealing nothing of his personal life. His mailing address was his sister's home.
The divorcee said: "People look down on us... they see us as troublemakers, vagabonds or beggars. They (his employers) would have sacked me if they found out I was homeless."
His woes started when he lost his storekeeper job in 2003 during the economic downturn at the height of Sars. He later sold his four-room Housing Board flat as he needed money and the mortgage arrears were piling up.
He has a son, who is in his 30s, with his first wife whom he divorced. Mr Lee said he later met an Indonesian maid about 20 years younger than him working in his neighbourhood and the pair wed in Indonesia.
When he tried to apply for a long-term visit pass for her and their daughter, the application was rejected and his Indonesian wife could not re-enter Singapore as she had breached work permit rules. Maids are not allowed to marry a Singaporean, unless they have secured the Manpower Ministry's approval.
With his marriage in jeopardy, and unable to find a full-time job, Mr Lee sank into depression. He has not been in contact with both his families and his four siblings.
He used to earn $10 an hour in his restaurant job. But the hours were not fixed and his income fluctuated.
Mr Lee said he tried applying for a highly subsidised rental flat from the HDB but claimed he was rejected, and he cannot afford to rent a room on the open market. Mr Lee said he had to hide his belongings in public toilets, take showers in swimming complexes and hang his laundry to dry in public places.
There were times when he had only 15 cents to his name and had to find free food at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge. "It was not nice at all. I couldn't rest in peace. If I had a choice then, I wouldn't have slept on the streets," he said. Earlier this year, Mr Lee had to stop work after breaking his wrist during a fall.
His life took a turn for the better only when volunteers from the Homeless Hearts of Singapore found him on the streets and spent months persuading him to go to a shelter.
One volunteer, Mr Derek Lim, touched him with his tireless concern for his well-being. Mr Lee gets $480 a month in financial aid and medical assistance from the Government now.
When asked why he was resistant to staying at a shelter, Mr Lee said: "I had no hope for anything any more... I didn't care."
He has been staying at the New Hope Transitional Shelter since June and says that life is much better now.
He even studied for a licence to be a security officer. He hopes to find a security officer job soon and to secure a rental flat to live in.
"I sleep better and my mind is more alert. My mood is also better. And I have companions (at the shelter) to talk to. We share our food and our problems," he said. "I'm grateful to Derek and others who have helped me."
Govt agencies, community network help homeless get long-term accommodation
We thank Mr Lin Howard for his feedback and suggestions (Longer-term solutions needed to tackle homelessness, Dec 20).
Since late-2017, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Housing Board (HDB) have been partnering community groups and government agencies to reach out to and assist homeless people and rough sleepers, especially those who may be unaware of the help available or who had previously declined assistance.
Homeless seniors who have care needs can be referred to MSF-funded sheltered homes. Residents at the sheltered homes are provided with meals, arrangements for medical services and recreational facilities.
Homeless people with housing and social issues can also be assisted by the three MSF-funded transitional shelters that are managed by social service agencies.
Mr Lin noted that some rough sleepers had a home to go back to but chose not to go back due to conflicts with family members or a co-tenant in HDB rental flats. For the latter situation, he suggested that HDB remove the requirement for two singles to pair up to rent a flat under the Joint Singles Scheme (JSS) and instead allow a single to rent an HDB flat on his own.
The existing requirement enables HDB to help as many needy individuals as possible, and ensures prudent use of limited public resources.
Most tenants under JSS are able to live together amicably and benefit from having company and mutual support. For those who prefer more privacy, partitions may be installed for JSS units in both existing and new rental blocks.
MSF, HDB and other government agencies will continue to work closely with our partners under the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers network to reach out to homeless people and rough sleepers, and help them return to stable long-term accommodation. We welcome more partners and volunteers to join us together in this effort.
If members of the public encounter any homeless individuals, they can play a part by calling the ComCare hotline on 1800-222-0000, or referring them to the nearest social service office or family service centre for assistance.
Kong Kum Peck
Director
ComCare and Social Support Division
Ministry of Social and Family Development
ST Forum, 31 Dec 2019
New shelter for the homeless opens in Margaret Drive
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Mar 2020
A new shelter for the homeless opened on March 9, making it the fourth such shelter here.
Transit Point @ Margaret Drive, which is run by New Hope Community Services, can house up to 100 people. It is located at the former Queenstown Polyclinic in Margaret Drive.
New Hope Community Service's director of social work, Ms Lilian Ong, told The Straits Times: "We opened this shelter to cater to more rough sleepers.
"There are also more volunteer groups out there reaching out to rough sleepers, and so we set up this shelter to cater to more people found on the streets."
This new shelter comes after a landmark study last year found that about 1,000 people were sleeping on the streets of Singapore. The study was carried out by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
In the last couple of years, a host of help services has emerged to aid the homeless and those sleeping on the streets, otherwise known as rough sleepers.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman told The Straits Times that besides Transit Point @ Margaret Drive, the three other transitional shelters for homeless families and individuals have a capacity for 156 families and an additional 60 single individuals.
People can stay for up to six months at the shelters, social workers say, while the staff help them find housing and employment. They also help them work through the problems they face, said social workers interviewed.
There is also a total of seven Safe Sound Sleeping Places, including Christ the King Church in Ang Mo Kio, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown and Toa Payoh Methodist Church in Toa Payoh.
These Safe Sound Sleeping Places provide a safe environment for individuals "who are not ready or not suitable for referral to the shelters to rest for the night", said the MSF spokesman.
She added: "By temporarily housing rough sleepers at the Safe Sound Sleeping Places, it will also be easier for MSF and our partners to locate them and assist them more easily and promptly. The MSF will continue to work with our community partners to open up more Safe Sound Sleeping Places."
Government agencies, religious groups and charities have formed a working group to help the homeless. The Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (Peers) Network now has 26 members, driving better coordination and synergy in the delivery of services.
The New Hope Community Services is a member of the Peers Network and besides its new shelter in Margaret Drive, it runs another transitional shelter for homeless individuals and families in Jalan Kukoh. That shelter is almost full now, Ms Ong said, with about 70 individuals and 15 families.
The charity also runs a shelter for homeless male ex-offenders located in Spooner Road, which has room for 60 men.
Ms Ong said the new Margaret Drive shelter will help individuals through their troubled times, such as going through divorce or having strained ties with their children, while helping them to look for jobs and housing.
She said: "They are homeless due to a loss of relationships."
For example, their children had asked them to move out after the relationship broke down, or because they had been repeatedly incarcerated, their children have little connection with them and may be reluctant to house them.
In its first week of operations, the shelter took in four people, including one woman. All four are above 50 years old and two of them are employed, working in blue-collar jobs, Ms Ong said.
She added that residents can stay up to one year at Transit Point @ Margaret Drive. The charity will work with residents to see how much they can afford to contribute as fees for their stay, to instil in them the importance of budgeting and responsibility. However, no one will be turned away if they cannot afford it, she said.
One resident is a former engineer, 61, who wants to be known only as Mr Teo.
He sold his flat after his divorce and moved in with his sister. But after his work contract ended, he could not find another job and hence could not afford to contribute to his sister's family for his stay there.
So he left her house and ended up sleeping on the streets for three years. For the past five or six years since he stopped working as an engineer, he did odd jobs, such as cleaning, to survive. But he said it is hard to keep a job, given the pain he suffers in his limbs.
He said: "Sleeping on a bed in the shelter is so much better than sleeping on benches or hard tiles on the streets, which gave me a backache. On cold nights, the cold went into my bones and when it rains, I have to run and find shelter."
Out on the streets, he also had his money and belongings stolen a few times.
He said: "The shelter is fantastic. They give us food and shelter and if we have any stress or problems, the social workers are there to help."
Homeless man says people see them as trouble makers, vagabonds or beggars
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 10 Nov 2019
Mr Lee, a 61-year-old who declined to give his full name, would show up at his dish-washing job at a restaurant neatly dressed, revealing nothing of his personal life. His mailing address was his sister's home.
The divorcee said: "People look down on us... they see us as troublemakers, vagabonds or beggars. They (his employers) would have sacked me if they found out I was homeless."
His woes started when he lost his storekeeper job in 2003 during the economic downturn at the height of Sars. He later sold his four-room Housing Board flat as he needed money and the mortgage arrears were piling up.
He has a son, who is in his 30s, with his first wife whom he divorced. Mr Lee said he later met an Indonesian maid about 20 years younger than him working in his neighbourhood and the pair wed in Indonesia.
When he tried to apply for a long-term visit pass for her and their daughter, the application was rejected and his Indonesian wife could not re-enter Singapore as she had breached work permit rules. Maids are not allowed to marry a Singaporean, unless they have secured the Manpower Ministry's approval.
With his marriage in jeopardy, and unable to find a full-time job, Mr Lee sank into depression. He has not been in contact with both his families and his four siblings.
He used to earn $10 an hour in his restaurant job. But the hours were not fixed and his income fluctuated.
Mr Lee said he tried applying for a highly subsidised rental flat from the HDB but claimed he was rejected, and he cannot afford to rent a room on the open market. Mr Lee said he had to hide his belongings in public toilets, take showers in swimming complexes and hang his laundry to dry in public places.
There were times when he had only 15 cents to his name and had to find free food at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge. "It was not nice at all. I couldn't rest in peace. If I had a choice then, I wouldn't have slept on the streets," he said. Earlier this year, Mr Lee had to stop work after breaking his wrist during a fall.
His life took a turn for the better only when volunteers from the Homeless Hearts of Singapore found him on the streets and spent months persuading him to go to a shelter.
One volunteer, Mr Derek Lim, touched him with his tireless concern for his well-being. Mr Lee gets $480 a month in financial aid and medical assistance from the Government now.
When asked why he was resistant to staying at a shelter, Mr Lee said: "I had no hope for anything any more... I didn't care."
He has been staying at the New Hope Transitional Shelter since June and says that life is much better now.
He even studied for a licence to be a security officer. He hopes to find a security officer job soon and to secure a rental flat to live in.
"I sleep better and my mind is more alert. My mood is also better. And I have companions (at the shelter) to talk to. We share our food and our problems," he said. "I'm grateful to Derek and others who have helped me."
Govt agencies, community network help homeless get long-term accommodation
We thank Mr Lin Howard for his feedback and suggestions (Longer-term solutions needed to tackle homelessness, Dec 20).
Since late-2017, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Housing Board (HDB) have been partnering community groups and government agencies to reach out to and assist homeless people and rough sleepers, especially those who may be unaware of the help available or who had previously declined assistance.
Homeless seniors who have care needs can be referred to MSF-funded sheltered homes. Residents at the sheltered homes are provided with meals, arrangements for medical services and recreational facilities.
Homeless people with housing and social issues can also be assisted by the three MSF-funded transitional shelters that are managed by social service agencies.
Mr Lin noted that some rough sleepers had a home to go back to but chose not to go back due to conflicts with family members or a co-tenant in HDB rental flats. For the latter situation, he suggested that HDB remove the requirement for two singles to pair up to rent a flat under the Joint Singles Scheme (JSS) and instead allow a single to rent an HDB flat on his own.
The existing requirement enables HDB to help as many needy individuals as possible, and ensures prudent use of limited public resources.
Most tenants under JSS are able to live together amicably and benefit from having company and mutual support. For those who prefer more privacy, partitions may be installed for JSS units in both existing and new rental blocks.
MSF, HDB and other government agencies will continue to work closely with our partners under the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers network to reach out to homeless people and rough sleepers, and help them return to stable long-term accommodation. We welcome more partners and volunteers to join us together in this effort.
If members of the public encounter any homeless individuals, they can play a part by calling the ComCare hotline on 1800-222-0000, or referring them to the nearest social service office or family service centre for assistance.
Kong Kum Peck
Director
ComCare and Social Support Division
Ministry of Social and Family Development
ST Forum, 31 Dec 2019
New shelter for the homeless opens in Margaret Drive
By Theresa Tan, Senior Social Affairs Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Mar 2020
Transit Point @ Margaret Drive, which is run by New Hope Community Services, can house up to 100 people. It is located at the former Queenstown Polyclinic in Margaret Drive.
New Hope Community Service's director of social work, Ms Lilian Ong, told The Straits Times: "We opened this shelter to cater to more rough sleepers.
"There are also more volunteer groups out there reaching out to rough sleepers, and so we set up this shelter to cater to more people found on the streets."
This new shelter comes after a landmark study last year found that about 1,000 people were sleeping on the streets of Singapore. The study was carried out by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
In the last couple of years, a host of help services has emerged to aid the homeless and those sleeping on the streets, otherwise known as rough sleepers.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman told The Straits Times that besides Transit Point @ Margaret Drive, the three other transitional shelters for homeless families and individuals have a capacity for 156 families and an additional 60 single individuals.
People can stay for up to six months at the shelters, social workers say, while the staff help them find housing and employment. They also help them work through the problems they face, said social workers interviewed.
There is also a total of seven Safe Sound Sleeping Places, including Christ the King Church in Ang Mo Kio, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown and Toa Payoh Methodist Church in Toa Payoh.
These Safe Sound Sleeping Places provide a safe environment for individuals "who are not ready or not suitable for referral to the shelters to rest for the night", said the MSF spokesman.
She added: "By temporarily housing rough sleepers at the Safe Sound Sleeping Places, it will also be easier for MSF and our partners to locate them and assist them more easily and promptly. The MSF will continue to work with our community partners to open up more Safe Sound Sleeping Places."
Government agencies, religious groups and charities have formed a working group to help the homeless. The Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (Peers) Network now has 26 members, driving better coordination and synergy in the delivery of services.
The New Hope Community Services is a member of the Peers Network and besides its new shelter in Margaret Drive, it runs another transitional shelter for homeless individuals and families in Jalan Kukoh. That shelter is almost full now, Ms Ong said, with about 70 individuals and 15 families.
The charity also runs a shelter for homeless male ex-offenders located in Spooner Road, which has room for 60 men.
Ms Ong said the new Margaret Drive shelter will help individuals through their troubled times, such as going through divorce or having strained ties with their children, while helping them to look for jobs and housing.
She said: "They are homeless due to a loss of relationships."
For example, their children had asked them to move out after the relationship broke down, or because they had been repeatedly incarcerated, their children have little connection with them and may be reluctant to house them.
In its first week of operations, the shelter took in four people, including one woman. All four are above 50 years old and two of them are employed, working in blue-collar jobs, Ms Ong said.
She added that residents can stay up to one year at Transit Point @ Margaret Drive. The charity will work with residents to see how much they can afford to contribute as fees for their stay, to instil in them the importance of budgeting and responsibility. However, no one will be turned away if they cannot afford it, she said.
One resident is a former engineer, 61, who wants to be known only as Mr Teo.
He sold his flat after his divorce and moved in with his sister. But after his work contract ended, he could not find another job and hence could not afford to contribute to his sister's family for his stay there.
So he left her house and ended up sleeping on the streets for three years. For the past five or six years since he stopped working as an engineer, he did odd jobs, such as cleaning, to survive. But he said it is hard to keep a job, given the pain he suffers in his limbs.
He said: "Sleeping on a bed in the shelter is so much better than sleeping on benches or hard tiles on the streets, which gave me a backache. On cold nights, the cold went into my bones and when it rains, I have to run and find shelter."
Out on the streets, he also had his money and belongings stolen a few times.
He said: "The shelter is fantastic. They give us food and shelter and if we have any stress or problems, the social workers are there to help."
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