The Straits Times
Sunday, Feb 5, 2017
It used to be that vagrants would remain, unseen and
unheard, at the margins of society. They bedded down in tents on
the beach or slept on cardboard in the dark corners of staircase
landings and void decks.
But a growing number is moving, literally from the dark
to brightly lit and safer urban areas, say charity or volunteer
groups that reach out to those who sleep outdoors, as more built-up
spaces emerge and businesses operate round the clock.
Many are drawn, for instance, to eateries and
supermarkets that are open 24/7, spending days and nights in the
vicinity of the air-conditioned respite they offer.
The cavernous multi-purpose halls in Housing Board
estates have also become a place to sleep without being
disturbed.
Mr Iwan, 69, who declined to give his full name, spends
his nights at such a location in Toa Payoh, lying down on a row of
chairs borrowed from a nearby coffee shop.
He moved there after five years of sleeping in void
decks in Ang Mo Kio, and two years in a tent in Changi before that,
he said.
"It's cleaner here. The coffee shop uncle nearby is
nice and doesn't complain about us," he said.
The term "homeless" generally refers to those who do
not have permanent accommodation or are unable to use their
registered address for various reasons.
Though their number has not gone up in Singapore, it
has not receded either. From 2005 to 2015, the Ministry of Social
and Family Development (MSF) gave support and shelter to an average
of 300 individuals or families each year, similar to between 2013
and 2016, when 719 individuals and 467 families were given
help.
It seems that the displaced will always form a part of
society, and it is not hard to see why they gravitate towards
places where there are more people.
Ms Fion Phua, whose group, Keeping Hope Alive, works
with the elderly and homeless, said: "Some of them stay near
brightly lit places to guard against theft or where there are
toilets they can use.
"Those with illnesses may want to be around people so
if anything happens, they are not alone."
Mr Abraham Yeo, of volunteer group Homeless Hearts of
Singapore, said some may also wish to mask their homeless
state.
"We are seeing more younger people, those in their 50s
instead of their 60s and 70s, camping at Starbucks, McDonald's,
Internet and gaming cafes, libraries and other urban spaces, as
these are places where people hang out and it is not immediately
obvious that they are homeless," he added.
Other reasons could be to evade the authorities, who
look for them in the usual places to assess their situation.
Dr Neo Yu Wei, research fellow at the National
University of Singapore's (NUS) Social Service Research Centre,
said: "This will drive the homeless to seek other new places."
Most who become displaced are poor and have weak social
support. Three out of four were flat owners who sold their homes
for reasons such as to settle debts, or after a divorce, and later
could not afford to buy or rent another flat, said MSF.
The remaining quarter have fallen out with those they
lived with for various reasons.
While businesses may look askance at having vagrants
hanging about, some are also kind.
Mr Lance Ambrosio, who works at Bakery and Bar St Marc
at Parkland Green in East Coast Park, said: "Sometimes, we give
them leftover bread." There used to be more than 10 people who
would sleep near the restaurant at night, but the number has
dwindled to two or three, possibly because the authorities have
been patrolling the area, he noted.
Mr Derrick Wong of the Longer Table Initiative, which
distributes meals to the elderly in Chinatown, including those who
sleep on the streets, believes the homeless should be engaged and
not just ignored. Over the past few years, he has hired 12 to work
at a cafe.
"Work therapy gets them out of their comfort zones and
breaks the cycle of poverty," said Mr Wong.
"A lot of them want to earn a living and not go to a
social service office to ask for cheques."
However, the idea of homeless people being in proximity
with residents does not sit well with everyone. Madam Jesilyn Yeo,
53, a housewife who lives in Toa Payoh, said: "Some of them sleep
and drink at the benches near our letterboxes. I smell the stench
of urine when I collect my mail sometimes."
She said she reported them to the police and town
council a few years ago but they keep coming back, so she now
leaves them alone if they do not make much noise.
While it is hard to predict how Singaporeans would
react to seeing more homeless people in their midst, it is a social
trend that continues to evolve.
Associate Professor Irene Ng from NUS' Department of
Social Work said: "There could be friction, but there could also be
more public sympathy as homelessness becomes more evident ."
With social issues becoming more complex, flat sizes
smaller and urban density rising, there may be more individuals
choosing to leave their family homes, she said.
It is not illegal to sleep on the streets in Singapore.
There are no specific laws governing the homeless here, though
there are penalties for begging on the streets or being a public
nuisance.
The homeless see "home" as more than just a roof over
their heads, said Dr Neo. "It is about safety, stability and, most
importantly, relationships with family or co-tenants. It is also
about having a sense of control over your own life. Homeless people
are not different from us. "