Ex-cleaner who sleeps in HDB corridor says he lost his room when he left his job

Independent Singapore

4 hours ago

SINGAPORE: A 63-year-old man who has been sleeping for the past few months in the corridor of a Housing & Development Board (HDB) block said he used to have his own room, but after he left his job as a cleaner a year ago, he could no longer afford the S$700 rental fee.
According to a Jun 8 (Sunday) report from Shin Min Daily News, the man, Mohamed Bashir, has a sister who lives in the block located at Block 716 Jurong West Street 71, but says there's no room in it for her brother.
However, because Mr Bashir has been sleeping in a common area, other residents from the building have understandably been alarmed over his sleeping in the corridor and have alerted the police concerning the situation.
Reports quote Mr Bashir's sister as saying that the authorities are assisting with his application to find a place to stay.
The residents quoted in the reports say that Mr Bashir has been sleeping in the corridor since March and that they've seen some of his belongings, including a suitcase, in the area as well.
They've claimed that Mr Bashir has shown behaviours they've found disturbing, or even frightening, including staring, knocking on their doors late at night, and following them to a nearby fast-food eatery.
When spoken to, he explained his situation, including the loss of his room after he was unable to pay rent. He also said that he does not stay in his sister's flat so that they don't get into fights. He also claimed that his sister has depression.
He also clarified that he had not been chased out of the house, but slept in the corridor to avoid conflict with his sister, who suffers from depression.
Mr Bashir does not stay in the vicinity of the block's common area all day, but spends time walking around or going to a coffee shop, he added.
Netizens commenting on the story online have been divided, with some asking what the real story is, since Mr Bashir and his sister have different versions.
'So is it 'cannot afford rent' or is it to 'avoid conflict'?' asked a Facebook user.
While some were sympathetic to Mr Bashir, others felt that he was merely making excuses for not working.
Others wondered if the man had an underlying mental condition and were thankful that the authorities were stepping in to help him out.
Some pointed out that there are public rental flats for low-income people but that Mr Bashir's sister may not have been able to help him gain access to them. /TISG
Read also: Good Samaritan searches for public hot showers for homeless man