Caption: Siti’s makeshift bed during the night in 2014
Credit source: Julaila Latiff
Homeless youths in Singapore are an invisible problem that many do not realise.
A recent study led by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy found that there are about 1000 homeless individuals sleeping in the streets of Singapore as at November 8, 2019.
A portion of the homeless community in Singapore is made up of youths.
These youths were displaced from their homes due to various reasons such as domestic violence, teenage pregnancy or family problems.
The problems they face are not just about a place to stay.
Siti Zakirah, 20, customer service officer, slept on a bench for a couple of weeks after being kicked out of the house by her father at the age of 15.
“I told myself if I sat there and cry, nothing good would come to me,” said Siti.
She eventually received a social stay at a nearby hospital after approaching a counsellor at her school.
Siti suffered from anxiety attacks throughout her homeless experience and the isolation in the hospital affected her mental health.
Although youths receive counselling at least twice a month during their stay at the welfare homes, it is for challenging for them to find comfort.
While most welfare homes help their residents prepare for daily living after they leave the home, Siti felt that her shelter only pampered her.
“Whenever I have my time alone, I had to prepare for life on my own,” she added.
Despite that, not every youth would have the privilege of staying at a welfare home.
Youths above the age of 19 have nowhere else to go as they are considered too old to be under foster care.
At the same time, they are not qualified to apply for rental Housing Develop Board flats as it requires the applicant to be at least 35 years old. Especially, if the person is unmarried and is without a family.
Many social and religious organisations in Singapore try to assist in this issue. Among them, the Sultan Mosque which recently opened a section of the mosque to provide an overnight homeless shelter. It is the seventh organisation in Singapore to do so.
Siti feels that the new overnight homeless shelter may be helpful but the homeless youths need more than a place to sleep. “The homeless need help to find something in life that is beneficial for them such as a job or schooling options (sic).”
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