The number of homeless folk picked up by welfare officers driving around Singapore's housing

estates, beaches and streets has doubled in the past two years.

A total of 253 people were picked up by officers from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth

and Sports (MCYS) last year, up from 123 in 2007. More than half were found sleeping in void decks

of Housing Board blocks.

More than six in 10 were men aged below 60 and 'capable of working', said MCYS. The rest were

divided equally between women and older men. Around 85 per cent were Singaporeans.

Most of the vagrants were admitted to government-run homes for destitutes where they get free

food, clothes and shelter, but face curbs on their freedom.

Those picked up from void decks and beaches last year included 17 families, up from just four in

2007.

But these numbers do not paint the full picture as about 260 other people, including 43 families, are

staying at two temporary shelters for the homeless, run by New Hope Community Services, a

voluntary welfare organisation (VWO).

One of the shelters is for families, the other for single men, many of whom are homeless ex-

offenders. Five additional flats were released to the VWO last week and it expects to take in another

40 people by the end of next month.

A third shelter, operated by Lakeside Family Service Centre, was set up just a month ago and is

currently housing 12 families.

The family shelters are located in a series of three-room HDB flats. Many of the families staying at

these places were referred there by welfare agencies such as community development councils

(CDCs) and family service centres (FSCs).

Unlike welfare homes, the family shelters allow residents to come and go as they please and charge

between $50 and $150 a month, depending on the size of the families and their ability to pay.

Families must also cook their own meals, though food rations are provided.

While the rise in numbers coincided with Singapore's deepest recession in years, MCYS said there is

no direct evidence to link this with the financial crisis.

Ms Ngo Lee Yian, the ministry's deputy director for residential and after-care services, said the

biggest cause for the spike was 'greater awareness' on the part of Singaporeans who called the

ComCare Call hotline (1800-222-0000) to tip off the ministry on homeless people in their

neighbourhoods.

The spike in hotline calls led to increased patrols by officers from MCYS' Destitute Persons Service,

which, in turn, saw more people being picked up, said Ms Ngo. There were around 280 patrols last

year, up from 160 in 2007.

Members of Parliament such as Charles Chong and Seah Kian Peng have seen a rise in cases of

constituents seeking help over housing problems.

Jan 31, 2010

SPECIAL REPORT: HOMELESS WANDERERS

Number of homeless people doubles More than half found sleeping in void decks; most of those picked up are placed in homes

By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent

The Straits Timeswww.straitstimes.com

Page 1 of 2Number of homeless people doubles

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'The number of HDB-related cases I see rose significantly after flat prices started to rise,' said Mr

Chong, who gets about 15 such appeals every week. 'Most are requests for rental units, though cases

involving evictions or homelessness remain few.'

Pastor Andrew Khoo, executive director of New Hope Community Services which runs the eponymous

shelter, said there are three main factors causing the down-and-out to land up on his doorstep.

Some shelter residents were forced to sell their homes because they lost their jobs and could not

keep up with mortgage payments. About 60 flats are voluntarily surrendered to the HDB every

month, The Sunday Times understands.

Others, said Pastor Khoo, had taken loans from banks and could not service them after interest rates

were raised.

Such people also typically have strained relationships with family members and are often ineligible to

rent or buy HDB flats.

'So they have no one to turn to for help,' said Pastor Khoo.

He added that about 60 per cent of the families staying at his shelter are Malay, and 20 per cent are

Indian.

The shelters can house the homeless for only three months. During that period, families work with

social workers to find alternative accommodation. On release, about 40 per cent go to live with

friends or relatives and about 30 per cent rent a flat from the HDB.

New Hope has a waiting list of about 30 families, most of them fear losing their homes. Currently, two

to three families are packed in each three-room flat.

'Some may have to sleep in the hall,' said Pastor Khoo. 'But that's better than living out in the open.'

radhab@sph.com.sg

Page 2 of 2Number of homeless people doubles

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