Hidden Youth Homelessness in Singapore: Stories, Data and Practical Solutions

A quiet rise among the young

Young people in Singapore who lose stable housing often do not sleep in parks or at train stations. Many keep moving, staying with friends for a few days, dozing at twenty four hour eateries, or finding corners of stairwells after cleaners leave. Their lives look normal by day and precarious by night. This hidden pattern makes youth homelessness harder to see, measure, and solve.

Jemina, a pseudonym, was 17 when her father died and her mother remarried. She left home because she no longer felt safe or welcome. She stayed in her junior college hostel, then had to leave before her pre university exams when her lease ended. Nights stretched across friends couches, playground benches, and fast food outlets. After she entered university, eye problems and mental health struggles forced her to withdraw. A family eventually took her in. She rarely spoke about her past because she feared judgment and felt misunderstood.

Her experience mirrors what community groups now report. Volunteers and social workers are seeing more requests for help from those under 35. Homeless Hearts of Singapore, which befriends people sleeping out, says almost half of its help requests this year have come from those under 35, up from just over one third in 2022. These youths are adept at avoiding the street, which keeps them out of official counts but not out of danger.

Jemina remembers how teachers and classmates read her distress. She says that even adults missed the warning signs.

“Even adults at my school saw me as being difficult rather than as one who was suffering. I was very alone.”

Kenneth Thong runs The Last Resort, a small volunteer initiative that has hosted many young people since 2007. He explains how invisibility protects youths from stigma, yet also keeps them away from help.

“You do not think of teenagers when you think of homelessness in Singapore, but it is a real issue.”

What the numbers show

Singapore has carried out nationwide street counts to estimate how many people sleep outdoors on a given night. In 2019, researchers and volunteers found between 921 and 1,050 people sleeping outside across most parts of the island. A follow up count in 2021 recorded 616 people. Many were older, male, and working in low wage jobs such as cleaning and security. Interviews in that first study suggested that about six in ten had jobs but still lacked stable housing. Median pay among those working was far below the national median. Half had been sleeping out for one to five years, and a large minority for even longer. Common sleep sites included void decks, commercial building corridors, and playgrounds.

Official nationwide counts were not conducted in 2023 and 2024, so frontline data offers the clearest signs of change. The Ministry of Social and Family Development says there are now 22 Safe, Sound Sleeping Places, known as S3Ps, that offer night shelter and basic amenities. About 100 individuals were staying at these sites as of July 2025. One operator, Bless Community Services, reports that its church based locations have been full in recent months. Catholic Welfare Services has also seen more people, with new clients rising from 192 in 2023 to 317 this year. The Ministry of National Development received 175 public reports of rough sleeping in 2024 through channels such as the OneService app.

These figures come with a caution. Street counts capture rough sleepers who are visible late at night. Young people who couch surf or stay intermittently with friends are often missed. Service providers describe this as hidden homelessness. A recent review of youth homelessness research in East Asia Pacific noted that differences in definitions and data collection make youth statistics hard to compare across places. That is a challenge for designing the right services at the right scale.

Why young Singaporeans lose housing

There is no single cause behind youth homelessness. Several pressures intersect: family conflict, sudden loss of a parent or caregiver, mental health distress, money problems, and the rules that govern access to public housing for singles. When these collide, a teenager or young adult can lose both a roof and a support network within weeks.

Family conflict, loss and safety

Qualitative research on youth homelessness in Singapore has found that breakdowns at home often start with abuse, neglect, or rejection. Family is a primary source of shelter, money, and guidance. When that bond collapses, a young person may find no safe room to return to, even if a formal address exists on paper. That was the case for Sarah, a pseudonym, who became the sole caregiver for her father after her mother died. She worked multiple jobs and still could not keep up with rent.

She recalls the toll of those months.

“Living between temporary accommodations was a struggle,” she said, describing the weight of “self blame and self loathing” when she could not protect her dad.

Money problems and the price of housing

Young adults frequently work in entry level or irregular jobs, which makes saving for deposits or rent hard. The 2019 field study found many homeless people were employed yet still priced out of stable rooms. When a shared flat is sold, or a landlord raises rent, a small wage gap quickly becomes a housing gap. Missed shifts or an injury can force a choice between food and bed space.

Eligibility rules that trip up singles

Singapore has a strong public housing system, but it is designed primarily around families. Singles typically qualify for public flats at age 35. There are public rental schemes and emergency pathways, yet age and household definitions can limit access for those in their teens and twenties who are estranged from family. Private rooms often require deposits, proof of income, and sometimes a guarantor. Many young people end up rotating among friends or sleep outdoors for stretches when bridges are burned or couches run out.

Mental health and the cost of instability

Homelessness compounds stress. Sleep is broken. Nutrition suffers. School and work are disrupted. Anxiety and depression rise. Jemina left campus housing because of eye problems and mental health concerns. Many in her position quietly exit school, which then narrows future job options and income. That cycle deepens risk long after the first night outside.

Across East Asia Pacific, studies have tested ways to support mental health for homeless youth. Interventions include art therapy for expression and healing, cognitive behavioural therapy to build coping skills, life skills classes, and programs that aim to strengthen family ties where safe. Many show improvements in depression, anxiety, or resilience. Some gains fade without sustained follow up. The lesson is that short, standalone sessions help, yet lasting stability usually requires steady housing plus ongoing counselling and casework.

Local qualitative research points to another hard trade off. Young people who focus on immediate income often set aside school, which means they lose more than a classroom seat. They forfeit qualifications that would raise earnings later. Without a stable home, day to day survival overrides every longer term plan.

How the system responds today

Singapore’s safety net for people sleeping out has grown over the past decade. The S3P network provides mats or beds at night, showers, and lockers in sites run by charities and faith based groups. Staff and volunteers help guests secure documents, link up with social workers, and apply for longer term housing or jobs. Capacity is tight. Several operators say they have had to turn people away at times.

The government has convened a network of community partners to coordinate help and build trust with those who avoid formal agencies. Family Service Centers work with young people on family mediation where safe or help with financial assistance and job placement. Members of the public can report rough sleeping through the OneService app, which triggers outreach. The Ministry of Social and Family Development defines homelessness in terms of safety and belonging, not only property rights, acknowledging that a person can be homeless even if a flat exists on paper when it is unsafe to return.

Singapore’s Destitute Persons Act also allows authorities to admit destitute individuals into welfare homes for care. Most youths, however, are better helped in community settings that preserve their autonomy and connections to school or work. That is why many frontline groups focus on night shelters, casework, and referral pathways rather than institutional placements.

Abraham Yeo, who co founded Homeless Hearts of Singapore, argues that practical help and community are inseparable when lives are fragile.

“Homelessness is not just a problem to be solved but a people to be loved.”

Lessons from research and abroad

Youth homelessness has risen in many wealthy cities. In the United Kingdom, charity data shows that well over one hundred thousand young people approached councils in a recent year saying they were homeless or at risk, with urban areas under strain from rent spikes. Assessment and support rates vary by local authority, leaving many without a clear path to help.

Places that have invested in rapid, housing led approaches offer useful ideas. In the Canadian city of Medicine Hat, officials committed to placing people into permanent housing within days, then wrapped support services around that home. The mayor later said the approach made fiscal sense because stable housing reduced use of crisis services. Denmark used a Housing First approach alongside a large public housing stock, with dedicated youth services that move young adults into permanent homes quickly. Tokyo reduced visible homelessness with temporary housing and employment advice at scale, backed by strong social services. Every city starts from a different housing market and policy base, but these examples show that fast access to a safe room, matched with casework and mental health care, can change trajectories for young people.

Paths to earlier help for youth

Evidence from the ground and from research points toward changes that could prevent a short crisis from turning into years without a stable home. Several ideas fit Singapore’s context.

• Create dedicated youth sleeping places with daytime support, school liaison, and mental health counselling. Keep them small and safe, and connect every bed to a named caseworker.
• Offer early access to public rental for estranged youth under 35 through a clear pathway with safeguards, time limits, and regular reviews. Pair each tenancy with mentoring and a plan for education or employment.
• Launch a host homes program that recruits and trains vetted families to host young people for short periods. Provide modest stipends, background checks, and ongoing support for both hosts and guests.
• Build campus safety nets so that students facing family breakdown or eviction can stay in dorms during term breaks and exams, supported by emergency funds and counselling.
• Expand trauma informed training for teachers, social workers, and frontline volunteers so warning signs are recognized early and referrals are warm, not cold.
• Provide quick cash assistance for deposits and first month rent through existing schemes, with simple applications and fast decisions for youth referred by trusted agencies.
• Set up integrated youth hubs that combine housing advice, mental health care, legal aid for family or tenancy issues, and job support in one place.
• Add a youth specific referral path inside the OneService app that routes reports to trained outreach teams and provides clear information on what happens next.
• Guarantee at least twelve months of aftercare for youths who move into stable housing to keep small setbacks from causing another loss of a home.
• Restart regular street and services counts and include methods that measure couch surfing, so that youth trends are visible and policy decisions are grounded in current data.

What young people say they need

Requests from youths are direct and practical. Sarah says many do not know where to begin, which makes the first step feel overwhelming.

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

Jemina hopes the wider community will be more aware and more willing to help, especially when a teenager or young adult is newly displaced.

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

Young people who lost a parent, or who feel unsafe at home, are asking for a fair chance to stay in school, keep a job, and sleep without fear. Small, timely interventions can make that possible.

What to do if you see someone sleeping out

• If someone appears to be in immediate danger, call the police at 999.
• Approach respectfully during daylight hours. Ask if the person wants help and listen before offering advice.
• Report sightings through the OneService app or website so outreach teams can follow up. You can visit OneService to learn how reporting works.
• Point youths to a nearby Family Service Center or school counsellor who can connect them to housing and financial aid.
• Avoid sharing photos of people sleeping outdoors on social media. Protect their privacy and dignity.
• If you represent a community group, consider partnering with an S3P or the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers network to support night shelters or outreach.

What to Know

• Youth homelessness in Singapore is often hidden, with many under 35 moving between friends homes and public spaces rather than sleeping in open view.
• Street counts found 921 to 1,050 rough sleepers in 2019 and 616 in 2021, with most being older adults. Counts were not conducted in 2023 and 2024.
• Frontline groups report more help requests from young people this year. Public reports of rough sleeping reached 175 in 2024.
• There are 22 temporary night shelters known as S3Ps, with about 100 guests in July 2025. Several operate at full capacity.
• Family conflict, caregiver loss, mental health stress, low wages, and age based housing rules often combine to push youths into homelessness.
• Research in the region shows that mental health support helps when paired with stable housing and ongoing casework.
• International examples point to fast access to permanent housing with wraparound support as an effective approach for youth.
• Practical steps in Singapore include youth specific sleeping places, early rental access with safeguards, host homes, campus safety nets, quick cash for deposits, integrated hubs, and better data.