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Mr Frank*: The Joy and Worry of Every Goodbye

*Frank’s journey from rough sleeping to a safer and more supported homer.

Frank had bought an HDB flat with a couple of his friends, but he eventually moved out due to conflicts with them and began rough-sleeping on the streets.

Frank was referred to our shelter in October 2025. Upon arrival, he presented with pre-existing health conditions, including a heart condition and diabetes.

Since his admission, his social worker has attempted to address his housing situation but has encountered several obstacles. Eventually, HDB stepped in to help all parties agree on certain terms regarding the flat, which they have bought and jointly owned. HDB had also approved Frank’s request to apply for a Joint-Single Schemes rental flat after almost 18 months of his admission in our shelter.

However, during these eighteen months, Frank’s physical health had deteriorated with more swelling on both legs and inability to climb up a single flight of stairs. Seeing the decline in his physical health, we asked his social worker to apply for Single Room Shared Facilities (SRSF) flat instead, so that there’s the presence of other residents within the compound, as well as staff like operating staff, cleaning crew, on-site social workers that can help watch over or attend to Frank immediately if there is any medical emergency.

Thankfully, HDB had not only approved Frank to SRSF, but even expedited his case. Shortly, he attended an interview and was offered a place in SRSF. Now, Frank is waiting for the admission notice to be given to him to move in.

Although Frank agreed to move to SRSF, he expressed that he will miss the communal setting of our S3P shelter@YCKC as everyone treated him very well and always looked out for his wellbeing. For the staff here at BCS, it is also a bitter-sweet conclusion to Frank’s stay in our shelter, also because we worry if he will be able to adjust to a new environment easily and whether he can get along with his neighbours. We look forward to Frank moving into his own room in SRSF, and hope he will be able to adjust to the new environment easily and get along with the residents there.

This is what we will always face. The joy of seeing a stayer moving on to a more stable living condition. And the worry of whether our stayer is able to adjust and adapt to a new living environment so that they will not go back to the vicious cycle of rough sleeping.