New groups include those hit by job loss, border closure during pandemic

Two new groups of homeless people emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, a study on the state of homelessness in Singapore has found.

Among those in the first group were those who never slept on the streets before the pandemic, but lost their jobs when Covid-19 struck and could not pay rent for a room on the open market.

Others in this group included those whose friends or relatives gave them shelter but who had to leave due to reasons such as fear that the homeless person's stay would contravene the ban on social visits during the circuit breaker period.

This group comprised men and women aged in the 30s to 70s.

The second group was made up of mostly middle-aged Singaporean men who commuted from Malaysia or Indonesia as they lived there with their wives from those countries.

When the borders closed and a host of travel restrictions were imposed, they could not travel back to Johor Bahru or Batam, and had to sleep on the streets here.

The study by a research team led by senior research fellow Ng Kok Hoe of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy conducted the second nationwide street count of the homeless here for the school's Social Inclusion Project. The study, which he said was the first of its kind here, also involved in-depth interviews with 51 homeless individuals staying at a temporary shelter.

There was a third group comprising those who had been homeless before the pandemic. They had been on the streets for as short as a few months to as long as 25 years, and comprised more men than women, with ages which ranged from the 30s to the 70s.

The report said of this group, whose members lived in "extreme poverty": "Participants (those interviewed) described being hungry and having to find protection from the rain and the cold.

"There were accounts of skipping meals for several days at a time, depending on generous passers-by to provide food, getting free meals from temples and mosques, and eating leftovers."

The three groups shared factors that contributed to their homelessness, the report said.

Many worked in low-wage jobs, earning about $1,000 a month. For some, their poor physical or mental health prevented them from being employed or working regularly.

Family conflict and estranged ties were another common problem, with some who sold their flats after their divorce having no family to turn to for refuge. For example, a 54-year-old woman who was separated from her husband was chased out of her room by her landlord. She was quoted in the report as saying: "I went back to talk to my daughter about letting me stay till the pandemic is over. She told me to go kill myself."

Many of those interviewed said they were indifferent to catching the coronavirus, given that even their basic needs were not met.

Mr Abraham Yeo, co-founder of the Homeless Hearts of Singapore, a charity that helps the homeless, said there are many families now at risk of becoming homeless, given the steadily rising rent in the open market and financial challenges they face.