In Singapore, a hidden crisis of youth homelessness

SINGAPORE, Nov 30 — They sleep in stairwells, 24-hour fast-food chains, and on the couches of friends, experts at hiding in plain sight. 

They are Singapore’s hidden homeless: a growing number of young people under 35 who have been forced from their homes by family conflict or financial crisis. 

Their stories, like that of 17-year-old Jemina who spent nights in playgrounds, reveal a largely unseen social problem that is quietly reaching a breaking point, The Straits Times reported.

“Even adults at my school saw me as being difficult rather than as one who was suffering,” Jemina recalled of her time spent homeless as a teenager. “I was very alone.”

While official street counts show that most rough sleepers are over 50, community groups on the front lines are seeing a disturbing trend. 

Homeless Hearts of Singapore, which befriends rough sleepers, says that requests for help from those under 35 have surged, making up nearly half of all cases in 2025, a significant increase from 37 per cent in 2022.

The main drivers, they say, are family conflicts over religion or beliefs, domestic violence, and mental distress at home. Lacking the finances to rent and often ineligible for subsidised housing, these young people are left with no choice but to couch-surf or sleep rough.

“You don’t think of teenagers when you think of homelessness in Singapore,” said Kenneth Thong, who runs a private shelter called The Last Resort with his wife. “But it is a real issue.”

 He explained that many young people know the work schedules of cleaners, allowing them to use spaces like stairwells without being spotted.

For others, homelessness is the result of sheer economic precarity. 

Sarah, 25, became the sole breadwinner for her father, a stroke survivor, after her mother died. She juggled multiple jobs but found herself and her father on the streets after she couldn’t make rent.

“Living between temporary accommodations was a struggle,” she said, recalling the immense “self-blame and self-loathing” she felt for not being able to protect her father.

While Singapore has a network of 22 Safe, Sound Sleeping Places (S3Ps) to provide temporary shelter, the system is under pressure. One operator, Bless Community Services, said its shelters have been at full capacity for the past three months, forcing them to turn people away.

Both Jemina and Sarah say they hope for more targeted support for young people facing homelessness, who often do not know where to turn for help.

“We have less life experience, and we may not know where to go or who to ask for help, which intensifies feelings of helplessness,” said Sarah.

Jemina’s wish is simpler. She hopes more people will open their homes and that the community can be “more loving.” 

“I really wish there were more people who are aware of this issue,” she said.

[Source: Malay Mail]