Mr Tan (second from left) with volunteers from Bo Tien Temple (first from left and first from right), along with a Fei Yue intern (second from right)
Years ago, Mr Tan divorced his first wife and lost contact with her and their children when he moved to Malaysia. After remarrying, his second wife soon left him, leaving him alone for a decade. Things worsened when he was cheated out of all his savings, becoming penniless and homeless.
Desperate for help, Mr Tan returned to Singapore, hoping to find support. He started sleeping rough at coffee shops and public benches around Taman Jurong. In August 2022, he walked into Fei Yue Family Service Centre (Taman Jurong) seeking help for shelter.
His caseworker, Clara Choo, quickly realised Mr Tan urgently needed shelter as he was a frail elderly man who could not continue rough sleeping. Whenever she asked about his situation, he would get emotional, feeling helpless about finding shelter with limited finances and no contact with his family after being away for over a decade. Moreover, he struggled to find shelter as he had not officially divorced his second wife, which disqualified him from renting a flat. Additionally, his CPF payouts disqualified him from financial assistance, leaving him broke and homeless.
Clara attempted to apply for a Safe Sound Sleeping Place (S3P) shelter for him, but it was deemed unsuitable due to his frailty and medical condition. Clara aimed to secure a rental flat to provide the stability he needed.
Despite limited housing options due to his unresolved marital issues, Clara continued searching for suitable shelter. She helped him apply for a transitional shelter, but processing would take a few weeks. Given his frail condition, they needed immediate shelter that could accommodate his needs, but options were few.
Fortunately, with FSC’s strong community partner relationships, the FSC Community Work team reached out to grassroots organisations for support. Through these connections, they were introduced to Bo Tien Temple, which provides shelter for the needy.
After negotiations, Bo Tien Temple agreed to accept Mr Tan for two months while Clara focused on securing a transitional shelter for him. They provided meals and transportation to and from the Community Care Facility when he was admitted due to COVID-19.
The long-term plan was to provide Mr Tan with a rental home, but he needed to legally divorce his second wife first. Clara referred him to the Legal Aid Bureau to support him with divorce proceedings, eventually allowing him to apply for a rental flat.
After Mr Tan’s two-month stay at Bo Tien Temple, Clara successfully secured a spot at a transitional shelter for him. With coordinated support from FSC and Bo Tien Temple, Mr Tan was transported to his new transitional shelter.
Mr Tan is very grateful to Fei Yue for supporting him with his shelter arrangements and providing him with stability during this interim period.
