Mother with 7-year-old to be homeless soon

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Mother with 7-year-old to be homeless soon

May 24th, 2014 | Author: Contributions



When Gladys (not her real name) got married about 8 years
ago – it was the happiest day of her life. However, things began to take a turn
for the worse, when her husband went to prison practically every year.

She eventually filed for a divorce in 2010, which was granted by the court on
19 April 2013. She was awarded 70% of the proceeds from the HDB flat which had
to be sold.

Over the last year or so, after more than 10 meetings with HDB, her MP’s
meet-the-people’s session (MPS), emails, etc – the HDB has approved her Housing
Loan Eligibility (HLE) which means that she has an adequate housing loan to buy
her second Build-to-Order (BTO) flat.
She has since sold her flat and has to move out at the end of June. She and
her 7 year old daughter are now extremely stressed as she has been told that
there may not be a sale of balance flat available by the time that she has to
vacate her current HDB flat. She has already conveyed her willingness to take
any type of flat to the HDB but the agency is not willing to commit that a flat
will be available soon for her and her daughter.

Despite knowing that her take-home pay is $2,400 and she only has $20 in her
bank now due to her being unemployed for a few months Gladys is
not being offered HDB rental flat, lower IHS rental or homeless shelter
alternative.

Instead HDB offered her a rental flat under the Interim Housing Scheme (IHS)
at $1,700 to $1,900 monthly rental. But this option
is financially beyond her means.

She has tried a few times to explore the possibility of renting a room in the
open market for about $650. However, various issues deter her from doing
that.

All the landlords rejected her after she explained her situation, being a
single divorced mother with a young daughter. A friend, who is very kind to
her, has been taking her daughter to and from school every day as Gladys has to
work rather long hours.

Apart from her family situation, the minimum rental is for 1 year, and she
only has $20 in her bank account now. She also believes her race may have
something to do with it too.

When we asked her why did she sell her flat when she did not have any
confirmed alternative accommodation, she replied that the HDB told her that she
could only apply for a BTO flat or BTO sale of balanced flat after she had sold
her current flat.

She pointed out the following to us:-

On 5 February 2014, the HDB wrote to her -


“We understand that you will meet the MOP for the existing flat only on 1
April 2014.
Hence, if you wish to buy a flat from the HDB and are able to meet all
other prevailing eligibility conditions, you may apply for one through our
regular BTO exercises, in the non-mature estates from 1 April 2014
onward.”
We believe this may have been a mis-communication, as our understanding is
that one can apply for a second BTO whilst staying in an existing one, as long
as the 5 year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) has been met, notwithstanding that
there is a court order for the flat to be sold because of the divorce.

Her 7 year old daughter has been asking her where they will be staying after
the end of June?

Gladys wrote in an email to us – “Anyway other than that I pray I am
coping well and I do it cos I have a little girl who needs me to be strong for
her.”

Gladys first wrote in to confide with TOC on her problems in end-April and
was subsequently referred to Mr Leong Sze Hian for financial consultation. When
TOC called to check on her on various occasions, she was practically crying
every time we called.

TOC has since contacted HDB on the issue and has been informed that HDB will
be getting in touch with Gladys. However, at the time of publication, HDB has
not offered Gladys any new solutions apart from what has been offered before and
she will still be homeless along with her 7-year-old daughter after she evicts
her flat in the coming June.

Leong Sze Hian and
financial counselling volunteers


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