Couple sleeps rough near Hougang bus stop, fears clutter at walkway will be stolen

For the past two weeks, a couple has been piling their belongings cluttering up a walkway near a bus stop at Hougang Avenue 1, seemingly making their area their home. 

At night, they don't return home either, preferring to sleep rough on the streets. 

The irony is, this duo, who are in their 50s, do own a HDB flat nearby but choose to sleep near the bus stop to prevent others from stealing their things, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

Speaking to the Chinese daily, the man surnamed Wang, said that they live at Block 147C, about a 10-minute walk away from the bus stop. 

"Although we do have a place to stay, we can't put our things at home. It's also troublesome to move them up to the third floor, so we decided to sleep here," the 53-year-old told Shin Min.

Wang and his wife collect cardboard boxes and other miscellaneous items to sell, and are able to make about $1,000 a month.  "We're supporting ourselves, it's better than begging." 

The couple only returns home to shower occasionally, but mostly use the toilets at a nearby coffee shop. 

When AsiaOne visited the bus stop on Wednesday (Dec 21), Wang's wife was seated on the side of the walkway cutting some wires with a pair of pliers.

A female passer-by walked past her and slipped her $2, which she accepted. 

When approached by AsiaOne, Wang's wife waved us away and declined to be interviewed. The pair was later seen loading some items onto a bicycle, which Wang later rode off with.

Their belongings, consisting mostly cardboard boxes and plastic bags, are lined up along the walkway, spanning more than 10 metres. 

'He doesn't shower' 

For some of the residents there, this couple is quite well-known in the neighbourhood. 

An employee at a provision shop, surnamed Tan, told AsiaOne that Wang used to work with the store. 

She shared that Wang and his wife used to approach them for leftover cardboard boxes, and Tan's boss decided to take him in. 

"My boss needed someone to help move our goods around, so he hired Wang," she said in Mandarin. 

Unfortunately, Wang's stint at the provision shop only lasted a mere three months as he was often late for work. 

"We open at 7.30am, but he would only report at 7.45am, and it affected business," shared Tan, who declined to give her age. 

Tardiness aside, Tan also said that Wang was let go was because of his body odour.

"He's quite dirty, he doesn't shower. When he's at the shop I can't take the stench. Some customers also remarked that he's quite smelly." 

Ho, who works at the coffee shop's drink stall, told AsiaOne that the couple used to sleep behind the coffee shop, and would walk around the estate collecting items to sell.

"But they were chased away after some residents complained. Now they've been at the bus stop for about two weeks," he added. 

According to Shin Min, the couple had reportedly sold their place, and are now making a living selling second-hand goods and working at coffee shops in that area. 

Although the authorities have tried to help them find a roof over their heads, Wang and his wife have refused, citing that the location was too far away or too small to store their belongings, reported the Chinese daily.  

AsiaOne has contacted the Aljunied Town Council for comment. 

Fewer homeless people here

A nationwide street count of homeless people done in 2021 showed that there were 1,036 people sleeping on the streets, seven per cent less than the first count done in 2019. 

One possible reason for the decrease in numbers could be due to increased numbers moving into temporary shelters. 

The street count also revealed that most of these individuals were found in larger, older and poorer neighbourhoods. 

Most of these are elderly men, as fewer women sleep on the streets due to safety concerns. 

ALSO READ: 'She sleeps underneath the block': Neighbour reveals why Yishun woman with cluttered corridor doesn't go home

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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