Delving into the lived experiences of Singapore’s Homeless

The Social Inclusion Project (SIP) is a research programme dedicated to analysing the role of public policies in creating an open, diverse and inclusive society, where people have opportunities for participation. Its activities aim to influence policy development, promote policy literacy and enable engagement. The SIP is committed to independent and transparent research on overlooked and emerging social problems, with a focus on empirical work with practical impact.

In 2021, researchers from the Social Inclusion Project  carried out in-depth interviews with 51 shelter residents in Singapore, both female and male, whose ages range from 31 to 79. This qualitative component of the study was concurrent with Singapore’s second nationwide homelessness street count and helped the research team to better understand homeless persons’ trajectories into housing insecurity.

While the pandemic triggered some homeless persons’ admission into shelter, it was not the dominant cause of housing insecurity in Singapore. Undoubtedly, because of COVID-19, many jobs were lost, borders were closed and rough sleeping became unlawful. However, the social context, economic circumstances and institutional barriers related to participants’ housing insecurity had been present even before COVID-19 hit. Through interviews conducted, the researchers were also able to draw lessons from participants’ lived experiences.  

Three distinct groups

The first are long-term homeless persons who had experiences of rough sleeping prior to the pandemic.

The second, newly homeless persons, refer to those who had not slept in public places before the pandemic.

The third, transnational homeless persons, were Singaporeans living in Malaysia or Indonesia who frequently travelled to Singapore before the pandemic for work or visa renewal, and were displaced by border closures in 2020.

Commonalities across the three groups

For many, family conflicts had directly contributed to their loss of housing. These took many forms: from failed marriages to being kicked out by siblings. Through the in-depth interviews, the researchers noted that the participants spoke of these as painful experiences and breakages which felt irreversible. This meant that even in times of crisis like the pandemic, families were no longer able to stay together.

Another important factor was long-drawn irregular work and in-work poverty, the result of low pay and unstable hours. This meant that participants’ financial resources were insufficient to meet basic needs, including housing. 

Depending on relatives and friends for shelter was not an ideal or long-term solution. The participants talked about these stays being terminated due to conflict or inability to make financial contributions.

Failure to obtain public rental housing as well as bad experiences as tenants under the Joint Singles Scheme were common in the housing histories of long-term homeless persons. A requirement for applicants to pair up created both barriers to access and opportunities for conflict among tenants, often leading to exit from public rental housing.

For those who then slept rough, conditions of rough sleeping were harsh and meeting basic needs remained difficult. Meals and safety were not guaranteed, which often had detrimental impact on physical and mental health. For female rough sleepers, as safety was of particular concern, they would often sleep in public places with security officers in view or other members of public around.

While the pandemic saw an unprecedented level of state and community resources utilised to provide support to those experiencing housing insecurity, there are also lessons to be learnt.

Firstly, the efficient mobilisation of frontline officers at the height of COVID-19 showed the efficacy of a consistent whole of government approach in responding to homeless persons when they interact with government agencies. Secondly, exit from homelessness depends on accessible and adequate housing options. This requires us to put in place fairer eligibility requirements and better rental housing conditions for those most vulnerable to homelessness. Thirdly, for income security, recently announced plans to extend wage protection for low-income workers must be closely watched. Fourthly, provisions of public financial assistance must account for health needs, and the additional needs of those unable to find work because of health issues. Finally, ongoing research that feeds into policymaking must account for different forms and levels of housing insecurity, and not just rough sleeping alone.

Read the full research report here: Seeking shelter: Homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. More about the Social Inclusion Project here.