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With the help of social workers, Tan Yong Hock Amos turned his life around, finding job stability after years of family abuse.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Fitri Salleh
PUBLISHED ON January 09, 2026 3:00 PM BY Koh Xing Ying
Tan Yong Hock Amos was living on the streets for 23 years before he finally sought help from social service organisations.
Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (Jan 7), Tan, 43, recounted the hardships he endured while struggling to make ends meet as a teenager.
"I was living in and out of my home from the time I was 16 years old. Both my parents were gamblers, and when I was younger, I took on odd jobs, such as washing dishes at night, earning about $30 or $40," he said.
"I was forced to work day and night, and whenever I went home, the door was always locked."
Tan is one of many homeless individuals who sought support at a transitional shelter, where he stayed for several months, regaining stability before he could start saving and gradually pay for his own home.
The shelter, where he stayed at Spooner Road, has since relocated to a new site in Yio Chu Kang — Transit Point @ Yio Chu Kang — in November 2024.
Media were invited on a tour of the facility on Wednesday, which has a capacity of about 126 rooms and is currently about 60 per cent full.
"The misconception Singaporeans have is that rough sleeping is not legal and that rough sleepers need to be dealt with by the law. Rough sleepers do face a complex mix of problems and it is not just housing," said Chua.
"Surveys showed us that a relationship issue with their family members are actually at the heart of at least half of those rough sleepers that were surveyed on ground."
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development Eric Chua touring the facility at Yio Chu Kang on Jan 7.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Fitri Salleh
A street count conducted by MSF on July 18, 2025, recorded 496 rough sleepers, representing a slight decrease of 6.4 per cent compared with the 530 counted on a single night in 2022.
Chua noted that 128 rough sleepers were surveyed and some expressed reservations about moving to shelters due to concerns about privacy and the availability of storage for their belongings.
According to a research report released by MSF on the recent street count, about 85 per cent of rough sleepers were male, with the majority being Chinese and over the age of 50.
Common locations where rough sleepers were sighted included HDB blocks, parks, and beaches.
Tan, the eldest of four children, also shared the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents.
"My home was a place of torture. Whenever I went home, my mum would ask for money, and I would give them all my earnings. I was treated badly all the time as they would throw hot water and knives at me," he said.
Left with no choice, Tan took to the streets, surviving on leftover food and sleeping in makeshift spots and HDB void decks.
"I had no money. Sleeping outside wasn't safe. I slept on cupboards and plastic bags and on some days and the weather could get very cold." he added.
After years of moving between temporary shelters and losing most of his belongings, Tan decided to seek help from Allkin Family Services at Ang Mo Kio, having heard about the organisation from a friend.
He was later accepted to New Hope Community Service's transitional shelter.
"While waiting for the outcome of my application, the centre provided me with biscuits and canned food. Eventually, they told me they had found a shelter for me," said Tan
He was also given a $200 one-time allowance, which he used to buy a new phone and an eSIM card, and received guidance from a social worker at the shelter, who helped him find employment and provided counselling.
Tan later secured a job as a cook at Toast Box, where he began saving. He is currently employed as a general worker at New Hope Community Services.
The fund will support collaborations with various organisations to pilot innovative solutions that address the underlying causes of rough sleeping and help individuals work towards housing stability.
MSF has also partnered with two transitional shelters run by New Hope Community Services —Transit Point @ Yio Chu Kang and Transit Point @ Jalan Kukoh — to redesign shelter units, providing greater privacy and additional storage space.
Dr Henry Tan, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), noted that long-term homelessness in Singapore is complex and diverse, with contributing factors accumulating throughout childhood, adulthood, and old age.
"People often think of homelessness as an issue affecting older adults, but it actually occurs at different life stages. Long-term homelessness does not begin when someone is 50 years old — it starts much earlier in life," said Dr Tan.
While homelessness cannot be completely eliminated, he stressed that long-term homelessness can be prevented.
"It is preventable by ensuring that exits from homelessness are sustainable," he added.
singapore
'My home was torture': Rough sleepers and homeless to get more support
Majority of rough sleepers are Chinese males aged over 50: MSF report
With the help of social workers, Tan Yong Hock Amos turned his life around, finding job stability after years of family abuse.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Fitri Salleh
PUBLISHED ON January 09, 2026 3:00 PM BY Koh Xing Ying
Tan Yong Hock Amos was living on the streets for 23 years before he finally sought help from social service organisations.
Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (Jan 7), Tan, 43, recounted the hardships he endured while struggling to make ends meet as a teenager.
"I was living in and out of my home from the time I was 16 years old. Both my parents were gamblers, and when I was younger, I took on odd jobs, such as washing dishes at night, earning about $30 or $40," he said.
"I was forced to work day and night, and whenever I went home, the door was always locked."
Tan is one of many homeless individuals who sought support at a transitional shelter, where he stayed for several months, regaining stability before he could start saving and gradually pay for his own home.
The shelter, where he stayed at Spooner Road, has since relocated to a new site in Yio Chu Kang — Transit Point @ Yio Chu Kang — in November 2024.
Media were invited on a tour of the facility on Wednesday, which has a capacity of about 126 rooms and is currently about 60 per cent full.
Family disputes a key factor behind rough sleeping
Speaking to the media at the facility, Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Eric Chua pointed out that family conflict is a key reason why some individuals become rough sleepers."The misconception Singaporeans have is that rough sleeping is not legal and that rough sleepers need to be dealt with by the law. Rough sleepers do face a complex mix of problems and it is not just housing," said Chua.
"Surveys showed us that a relationship issue with their family members are actually at the heart of at least half of those rough sleepers that were surveyed on ground."
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Fitri Salleh
A street count conducted by MSF on July 18, 2025, recorded 496 rough sleepers, representing a slight decrease of 6.4 per cent compared with the 530 counted on a single night in 2022.
Chua noted that 128 rough sleepers were surveyed and some expressed reservations about moving to shelters due to concerns about privacy and the availability of storage for their belongings.
According to a research report released by MSF on the recent street count, about 85 per cent of rough sleepers were male, with the majority being Chinese and over the age of 50.
Common locations where rough sleepers were sighted included HDB blocks, parks, and beaches.
Tan, the eldest of four children, also shared the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents.
"My home was a place of torture. Whenever I went home, my mum would ask for money, and I would give them all my earnings. I was treated badly all the time as they would throw hot water and knives at me," he said.
Left with no choice, Tan took to the streets, surviving on leftover food and sleeping in makeshift spots and HDB void decks.
"I had no money. Sleeping outside wasn't safe. I slept on cupboards and plastic bags and on some days and the weather could get very cold." he added.
After years of moving between temporary shelters and losing most of his belongings, Tan decided to seek help from Allkin Family Services at Ang Mo Kio, having heard about the organisation from a friend.
He was later accepted to New Hope Community Service's transitional shelter.
"While waiting for the outcome of my application, the centre provided me with biscuits and canned food. Eventually, they told me they had found a shelter for me," said Tan
He was also given a $200 one-time allowance, which he used to buy a new phone and an eSIM card, and received guidance from a social worker at the shelter, who helped him find employment and provided counselling.
Tan later secured a job as a cook at Toast Box, where he began saving. He is currently employed as a general worker at New Hope Community Services.
$450k fund to support rough sleepers
To strengthen support for rough sleepers and the homeless, MSF will launch a $450,000 'Partnership to Tackle Homelessness' fund.The fund will support collaborations with various organisations to pilot innovative solutions that address the underlying causes of rough sleeping and help individuals work towards housing stability.
MSF has also partnered with two transitional shelters run by New Hope Community Services —Transit Point @ Yio Chu Kang and Transit Point @ Jalan Kukoh — to redesign shelter units, providing greater privacy and additional storage space.
Dr Henry Tan, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), noted that long-term homelessness in Singapore is complex and diverse, with contributing factors accumulating throughout childhood, adulthood, and old age.
"People often think of homelessness as an issue affecting older adults, but it actually occurs at different life stages. Long-term homelessness does not begin when someone is 50 years old — it starts much earlier in life," said Dr Tan.
While homelessness cannot be completely eliminated, he stressed that long-term homelessness can be prevented.
"It is preventable by ensuring that exits from homelessness are sustainable," he added.
