The study of homelessness in Singapore is increasingly gaining traction among academics, policy makers, students and social work practitioners. In recent years, much of this body of work has focused either on highlighting the homelessness experience through in-depth qualitative interviews or counting and surveying the homeless population.
In this session, I introduce a life course approach to analyse long-term homelessness in Singapore. I use the life biography pathways of 41 participants in a 3-year study to identify the key life transitions and stressors associated with long-term homelessness. This study is premised on the conception of homelessness as a process that involves life events that extends throughout the life-course – from birth till present. The experience of stressors is conceived as prominent life events across four main life stages: childhood, adulthood, older adulthood, and old age. Overall, homelessness is most prevalent in adulthood and older adulthood. Homelessness in adulthood may be driven by immediate crises or events that led to housing instability, such as eviction, conflict with family members and limited financial resources. Participants typically encounter these stressors for the first time in adulthood. In older adulthood, homelessness is rooted in enduring issues already first encountered in adulthood. The challenges faced by older adults experiencing homelessness are more systemic and symptomatic of entrenched and complex social exclusion. The findings suggest that homelessness prevention is best targeted in adulthood or earlier. Early intervention can provide immediate support to individuals facing crises, helping them maintain stable housing and avoiding a downward spiral into long-term homelessness.
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