Homeless people and rough sleepers who are found outside will not be penalised for being out in public if they receive assistance from the government, said Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee in Parliament on Monday (May 4).

He spoke in response to several questions raised by Members of Parliament on the impact of Covid-19 on the homeless in Singapore, noting that his ministry has seen an increase in the number of people seeking shelter in the past month.

"During the circuit breaker, nearly 300 have come forward so far to seek shelter and assistance, including many who were affected by travel restriction," said Lee.

MSF has a network of government agencies, social service agencies, and ground up community groups called the PEERS Network that reach out to homeless people and rough sleepers.

PEERS stands for Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers.

Organisations within this network offer their premises as safe, sound sleeping places (called S3Ps) for rough sleepers.

In order to meet the need for more shelter spaces during the circuit breaker, more organisations have joined the PEERS Network to offer their premises.

"27 new organisations have answered our call for action, bringing the total number of organisations setting up or operating S3Ps to 35," said Lee.

These include Kassim Mosque, Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, Pasir Panjang Hill Community Services, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Catholic Welfare Services, Good News Community Services, and New Hope Community Services.

Some partners, the minister said, have also expanded their operating hours so that their homeless guests can remain in the premises throughout the day.

HDB has also provided vacant rental flats for community parties to operate as S3Ps, said Lee.

"Together, all the S3Ps are able to accommodate some 700 rough sleepers. Currently we have about 400 spaces available. We would like to thank all our partners for generously welcoming homeless friends off the street as guests into their premises and operating the S3Ps round the clock."

He added that the Covid-19 crisis has reaffirmed the importance of close collaboration between government agencies and community partners.

"Our aim is not only to keep homeless people and rough sleepers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Lee, "But to help them resolve their underlying challenges and to get back on their feet, beyond this period."

Top image via NUS News.