grayscale photo of elderly man in striped shirt
75-year-old grandfather allegedly locked out of HDB flat he paid for, sleeps rough for a month
SINGAPORE: A 75-year-old man in Singapore has allegedly been forced out of the HDB flat he fully paid for, after a dispute with his own 55-year-old daughter led to his eviction roughly a month ago.
The elderly man is said to have spent about a month sleeping rough before a family took him in, according to a Reddit post shared by an acquaintance of the family on Thursday (Sep 17).
The poster said the family, along with the granddaughter, was now trying to find somewhere permanent for the grandfather to live.
“Their concern is now whether they can get a house for him to stay. A rental house would be best,” the user wrote. “So what happened next was they went to HDB for help. HDB told them to go to MSF to speed the process so he can get the house faster. MSF gave 3 options.”
1)Go back to the house that kicked you out
2) Go to a temporary shelter where you stay with 3 families under one roof for 6 months to a year.
3) Stay at the current family house until he gets the rental.
Unsure which option they should take, the user asked other Singaporeans for their opinions, writing, “Need your help in how we go forward in this. Kind replies please. The family has been through enough stress.”
Grandfather allegedly paid for the flat
Giving more context, the user explained that the grandfather had “fully paid the house in cash”, despite his name not being on the flat.
His IC address was reportedly still registered to the home, where his daughter and six other family members also live.
The grandfather was allegedly not good with bills and could not read, so his daughter had apparently handled the household finances.
The poster claimed he had continued supporting the family financially, giving his daughter money each month and paying for household expenses, including the bills and the flat.
“He does not have receipts that he paid cause everything was done by the daughter,” the user said. “He is currently still working.”
A family argument allegedly changed everything
The grandfather's living situation reportedly took a turn after he and his daughter had a major argument.
The daughter allegedly told him to leave “for good”, threw away his belongings and changed the locks.
The family’s helper was reportedly unable to let him back into the flat either, as she allegedly told him she “did not have the keys.”
This meant the grandfather could not even return to check whether he had anything left inside.
According to the post, he ended up sleeping rough for around a month, reportedly using only cardboard as bedding.
He was eventually found by another family, who took him in.
‘Go bring him to an FSC’
The post prompted commenters to suggest several avenues for the family to explore.
One commenter, who identified themselves as a social worker, advised the family to approach a Family Service Centre (FSC).
“Please go bring him to an FSC—they may be able to find a shelter/appeal for a public rental flat considering he is a vulnerable adult.”
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Another suggested seeking legal advice through a pro bono service.
“Maybe consider getting legal advice from a pro bono. Although the grandfather is not the legal owner, nor has any receipts etc but perhaps there may still be a case if he is able to construct the timeline in which he passed the cash to her and was it withdrawn from the bank etc?”
They added, “I think he might be able to prove his financial input/contribution to the property in that way. The daughter may counter-argue that the cash was a gift, but she too would need to produce evidence in the form of any writing, texts, etc.”
A third commenter said, “Go to meet the people's session and ask MP for help.”
Seeking help
Anyone experiencing homelessness in Singapore can call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 for help and support.
Those who come across someone who is homeless and needs assistance can also contact the hotline or email [email protected]. The relevant agencies will follow up and provide the necessary support.