PHILIPPINE - Tens of thousands homeless after flooding in Philippines

PHILIPPINE - Feeding The Homeless in Quiapo Manila Philippines 2014

MAKE THE HOMELESS SMILE - Philippines

PHILIPPINE - MM has world’s highest homeless population

By Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 6, 2014 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila has the highest homeless population in the world, according to an online site that compiles what it describes as “lesser-known intriguing information on a variety of subjects.”

A list of “25 Cities With Extremely High Homeless Populations” posted by List25.com on its website on April 29 showed that 22.8 million people, including 1.2 million children, are residing in slums in Metro Manila.

List25.com also said 300,000 more people are reported to have gone homeless following recent calamities that hit the Philippines.

The Unites States has the most number of homeless populations with 11 cities, it reported.

The descriptions about the 25 cities’ homeless were written by Juan Castillo, who has a Bachelor in Design from the University of Florida with a major in Architecture.

Castillo is currently working on an urban regional planning masters project.

He said the information on the number of homeless is based on statistics released by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which reported that around 100 million people worldwide are homeless.

The List25.com’s “25 Cities With Extremely High Homeless Populations” are as follows: Metro Manila; New York City; Los Angeles; Moscow; Mexico City; Jakarta; Mumbai; Buenos Aires (Argentina); Budapest (Hungary); Sao Paulo (Brazil);

San Francisco; Seattle (Washington); Athens; San Diego (California); Tampa (Florida); Rome; Washington; Chicago; Tokyo; Baltimore (Maryland); Rio de Janeiro; Dublin (Ireland); Indianapolis (Indiana); Denver (Colorado) and Lisbon (Portugal).

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

HOMELESS WORLDWIDE - An Estimated 100 Million People Worldwide are Homeless

AN ESTIMATED 100 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE HOMELESS. SOURCE: UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, 2005.

Worldwide

An estimated 100 million people are homeless worldwide
Source: United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 2005

Europe

An estimated 3 million people are homeless in Europe
Source: Red de Apoyo a la Integración Sociolaboral (RAIS) 2010

Argentina     

An estimated  15,000 people are homeless in Buenos Aires
An estimated 4,500 children are homeless in Buenos Aires
Source: Red Solidaria

Australia

100,000 people sleep on the streets of Australia everyday
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003.

An estimated 105,000 people are homeless in Australia.
Approximately 44% of homeless people in Australia are female
Approximately 12% of homeless people in Australia are children under the age of 12
Source: http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au, 2009

Austria

It is estimated that more than 2000 people sleep rough every night in Austria                                                   
Approximately 12,000 people are accommodated by homeless facilities in Austria
Source: Feantsa 

Belgium

An estimated 1,200 people are homeless in Brussels
Source: De Decker, 2001

Brazil

In Brazil, there is a deficit of 6.6 Million housing units, equalling 20 million homeless people, who live in favelas, shared clandestine rooms, hovels or under bridges and viaducts, or are squatters, in some of the country's largest cities
Source: Brazil 2000 census

An estimated 2,500 people are homeless in Rio de Janiero
An estimated 10,000 people sleep rough in Sao Paulo
Half of the population of Sao Paulo live in informal shelter
Source: Brazil’s Economic Research Institute Foundation, 2003

Canada

Supporting Canda's homeless population costs Canadian Tax Payers CAD$6 billion a year
Source: International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 2008.

Women and Children are the fastest growing group of those who are homeless in Canada
Source: Women’s Housing Advocacy Group, 2003

There are 6,100 homeless people in Ontario
There are 3,365 homeless people in Quebec
Source: www.thamesresearch.org.uk/news-and-views/homelessness-facts-and-figures/

There are 200,000 Homeless people in Canada.
Source: International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 2008. 

Columbia

There are an estimated 9,654,722 homeless people in Columbia.
Source: http://www.eclac.org/cgi-bin/getProd.asp?xml=/publicaciones/xml/5/3030

Croatia

An estimated 2,285 people are displaced as a result of conflict in Croatia        
Source: UN figures 0 2402 UNHCR (June 2009)   

Finland

An estimated 7,600 people are homeless in Finland
Approximately half of homeless people in Finland live in the Greater Helsinki area
Source: European Federation of National organisations working with the Homeless (FIANCE) 2010

France

An estimated 1 million people are homeless in France
An estimated 100,000 people live on the streets in France
Source:  http://www.emmaus-france.org.uk, 2007

Germany

An estimated 254,000 people are homeless in Germany
Approximately 25% are women
Approximately 11% are children and young people
Source: European Federation of National organisations working with the Homeless (FIANCE)

Greece

Homelessness in Greece has risen from 17,000 in 2009 to 20,000 in 2010
An estimated 9,000 people are homeless in Athens
Source: European Observatory on Homelessness             

Hong Kong

52.7% of homeless people are aged 49 or over in Hong Kong
18% of homeless people have not received a formal education in Hong Kong.
Source: Project on Helping Street Sleepers - Paper of LegCo Welfare Panel (2004)      

Hungary

Approximately 10,000 people are homeless in Budapest
Source: Estimating the Size of Homeless Population in Budapest, Hungary David Beata

India

In 2003, there were 78 million homeless people in India
Source: Action Aid, 2003

India is home to 63% of all slum dwellers in South Asia
Source: http://www.slumdogs.org, UNHABITAT, 2007

Indonesia

There are 3,000,000 homeless people in Indonesia
Source: www.achr.net/indonesia.htm

An estimated 28,364 people are homeless in Jakata
Source: 2001 Census

Ireland

An estimated 2366 people are homeless in Dublin every night
Source:http://www.combatpoverty.ie/povertyinireland/homelessness.htm, 2008

Italy

An estimated 7,000 people are homeless in Rome
Italy has no official, legal definition of homelessness

An estimated 17,000 people are homeless in Italy
Source: http://www.wantedinrome.com/news/news.php?id_n=3559        

Ivory Coast

An estimated 40,000 people are homeless in the western Ivory Coast 

Japan

An estimated 25,296 people are homeless in Japan
An estimated 5,000 people are homeless in Tokyo        
Source: www.street-papers.org/case-studies-asia, 2006

Lithuania

There are 1,250 homeless people in Lithuania
Source: Homelessness in Lithuania: An Outline of the Situation for FEANTSA

Malawi

An estimated 90% of Malawi’s urban population live under slum conditions
Source: http://www.homeless-international.org/standard_1.aspx?id=1:28496&id=0:276&id=0:262         

Mexico

In Mexico City an estimated 40% of people live in informal housing
Source: www.unhabitat.org                                                             

Namibia

More than 70,000 people live in shack settlements in Namibia
Source: http://www.homeless-international.org/standard_1.aspx?doc=1:26148&id=1:28813&id=1:28652&id=1:28486&id=0:262  

Netherlands

An estimated 30,000 people are homeless in the Netherlands
Source: http://www.feantsa.org/code/en/country.asp?ID=12&Page=22   

Nigeria

By 2015, there will be an estimated homeless population of 24.4 million people in Nigeria
http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/STATISTICS/4852366f2.pdf     

Palestine

An estimated 24,145 Palestinian homes have been demolished in the Occupied Territories since 1967
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7839075.stm    

Philippines

32.8million, 40% of the population in Philippines, live in slums
Source: Homeless International, 2008

An estimated 1,200,000 children live on the streets in the Philippines
Source: http://www.unhabitat.org    

Portugal

Most homeless people live in metropolitan areas such as Lisbon and Porto.
Source: European Federation of National organisations working with the Homeless (FIANCE) 2010 

Russia

An estimated 5 million people are homeless in Russia
An estimated 1 million children are homeless in Russia
Approximately 3.4%of the population is homeless
Source: Russian Interior Ministry, 2008

Scotland

40,123 homeless applications accepted in 2008-09
More than 50% are asked to leave their accommodation following domestic issues
Source:http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_issues/research_and_statistics/key_statistics/homelessness_facts_and_research

Spain

An estimated 39,654 people are homeless in Spain
An estimated 6,190 sleep on the streets
Source:  Red de Apoyo a la Integración Sociolaboral (RAIS) 2010

Sweden

Around 17,800 people are homeless in Sweden
Source: Swedish Home Office 2010

United Kingdom

The UK has one of the highest levels of homelessness in Europe with more than 4 people per 1,000 estimated to be homeless
Source: Homeless Pages, 2004.

The average life expectancy of a Homeless Person in the UK is 42 years, compared to the national average of 74 for men and 79 for women. This is lower than the life expectancy of Ethiopia or the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Source: “Still Dying for a Home” – Crisis, 1996.

In the UK there are 10,459 rough sleepers and 98,750 households in temporary accommodation
Source: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2005

Homelessness costs London £38.9 million a year in lost economic development and costs to its justice and health-care communities, and a much higher toll in human lives
Source: University of Western Ontario, 2003

The estimated cost for one homeless person in the UK to be provided accommodation and other support services is £15,000 per year
Source: Homeless Link UK, 2008

Statistics indicate that 63% of homeless women in the UK have experienced domestic violence and 40% have been sexually abused
Source: Homeless Link, 2007

USA

Estimated homeless figures in the United States range from 600,000 to 2.5 million
Source:  http://www.fas.org, 2009

1.37 million of the total homeless population in USA are children under the age of 18. 40% are families with children, 41% are single males, 14% are single females
Source: International Journal of Psychosocial Research, 2008

Research by Dennis Culhane, University of Pennsylvania, followed thousands of homeless people in New York and each of them used an average of $40,000 a year in public services, such as increased health care.
Source: University of Pennsylvania

Wales

An estimated 1,475 households are homeless in Wales
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/wales_politics/8270906.stm  

LONDON - Unseen Documentary on Homeless City Walking Tours in London

MALAYSIA - Homeless in Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA - 50 years on, the homeless remain voiceless

50 years on, the homeless remain voiceless

BY MUZLIZA MUSTAFA

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

LATEST UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2013 07:26 PM

As Malaysia’s 50th birthday celebrations and tributes to the nation’s founding fathers continue, there remains a neglected section of the populace with its own story to tell.

With neither a roof to call their own nor permanent jobs, folks in this group make up the homeless – and the forgotten – among us.

Along, 32, is one such person. Hailing from Perak, Along moved to the capital in 2008 in search of greener pastures but sadly, ended up in the gutter.

In the five years since, he has done all kinds of jobs, from security guard to helping at restaurants, but nothing permanent - forcing him to live on the street whenever he was out of a job.

"I once worked as a security guard. The pay was ok but there was no proper agreement. When the contract ended, I had nowhere to go but on the street," said Along, the eldest of seven siblings.

With a large cardboard piece for a mattress, Along has made the walkway of a store near Pudu Sentral his "bed"; the same spot all year round, come rain or shine.

Last Sunday, along with many other street people in Kuala Lumpur, Along was made to feel special when a group of nine young activists calling themselves "Dapur Jalanan" laid out a feast for them, coupled with entertainment.

"Dapur Jalanan" coordinator Abdul Hadi Khalid, 31, said the homeless too had their own stories to tell.

"1,000 people, 1,000 stories. You’d be surprised that these people have jobs; it’s just that they cannot afford to rent a room, let alone a house," he said.

Abdul Hadi (pic) said the event was special as it was an open house for the street people.

"There were Hari Raya open house invitations for others; sometimes up to three times a day during the weekend. We have forgotten these people on the street, who hardly have enough to eat. No one celebrates with them so we are here today to share some food and Hari Raya kuih with some entertainment for them. They are Malaysians that many of us have forgotten," he said.

At least 200 homeless turned up for the food.

"Here they are our VVIP (Very Very Important Person)," said Abdul Hadi.

He said the food distribution project has been going on since March and they cooked the food themselves.

"We cook our own food, sometimes it’s tasty, sometimes it’s not, but it’s straight from the heart," said the burly Abdul Hadi.

He said the fare served was simple food based on feedback from the homeless.

"They asked for fried banana (pisang goreng) and cucur cempedak (fried jackfruit); simple things like that and bread with soup," he said.

The menu also included local fruit, soto and satay. The street people, meanwhile, were also serenaded by a blind band as well as a poetry recital.

"I know the volunteers. The food they distribute is always welcome. Enough to get me by for the night,” Along said.

Asked about his plans for the future, Along said he was interested in the food business and hoped to get some help to realise his dream.

"I know people look down on us but I am not dumb. I just need an opportunity. Ministers came to the ground to visit us, but none offered real help. Not money but opportunity that can help me stand on my own feet," he said before excusing himself.

Along usually rises by 6am and heads to Masjid Jamek to shower and perform subuh prayers.

He then helps a friend to sell breakfast for some pocket money; enough to "splurge" on a one-hour session at a cybercafe or on a burger once in awhile.

Those who wish to donate or participate in "Dapur Jalanan" projects can reach them on their Facebook page or go to the Radio Bangsar Utama office in Bangsar. - September 16, 2013.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

SINGAPORE - Our Homeless Sleeping in Public Places

OUR HOMELESS SLEEPING IN PUBLIC PLACES

Post date: 

22 Jul 2012 - 11:58am

Article reproduced with permission from Uncle Gintai who is a local train operator who blogs vividly @ http://gintai.wordpress.com

Last Fri late night, I was at a coffee shop near to Blk 58 Hawker Centre New Upp Changi Rd. It’s my usual habit to have a beer or two after work before I return home and call it a day. I usually read, surf the net or blog whilst quietly enjoying my beer.

The fact that our little piece of rock is inundated with millions of foreigners to the tune of 38% of local population has mortified whatever little space we have. It’s always crowded everywhere – trains, buses, roads, parks, hospitals and coffee shops of course. Sometimes, I have to share tables with others even though there are few coffee shops and a hawker centre in the vicinity.

That’s why I prefer the late shift where there is not much crowd so that I could have my own private quiet moment in my favorite corner at a coffee shop sipping my beer.

Last Fri night as I was leaving the coffee shop after my sojourn, I suddenly noticed that there was a surge in the homeless sleeping on the benches at the concrete shade. It was about 1am. A quick count showed more than 10 persons sleeping there. Their ages ranging from early 40s to 70s.

Most of them carried a bag and used it as headrest. They didn’t look like foreign workers. They appeared to be locals. I believe this scenario is repeated all over our country. Just go to the Chinatown Buddha Tooth temple vicinity, there is much more there but those are elderly folks living nearby.

I believe there are two types of homeless sleeping in public places. Those who have got a flat but choose to sleep in a public place vs those who are really homeless who have no choice but to sleep in a public place.

I was told that in Japan, there are throngs of elderly Japanese who choose to sleep in the subways and public areas. There is even cardboard for rent provided. Reason being that those elderly leave their tiny home in the night so that their children could have more room and privacy with their wives. Thus, the tiny flat is used by their children at night and the elderly parents return in the morning to occupy the flat when their children go to work!

We are talking about Japan – the most advanced country in the world still having throngs of elderly ‘homeless’ sleeping in the subways for this reason. It’s due to the expensive costs of their tiny flats. It’s quite common in Japanese cities. It’s quite an accepted norm. Question is will it also become a norm here? What do you think?

What about other first world countries? There is much more in the big US and European cities. I was told by Uncle Bodo that in Germany – one of the richest in EU, there is alway lots of homeless unemployed Germans. The German welfare state pays every citizen about $500 Euro – which is more than S$1,000 per month. Further more, there are many charity organizations or soup kitchens where free meals are easily available. The typical unemployed German is usually not married, no home and refuses to work. He uses the handouts by the state mainly for his alcohol.

The above fact related by my German friend Uncle Bodo is indeed shocking. But here in Singapore, we know that it’s never easy to receive handouts from the government. Before the government disburses any fund to any needy citizen, they screen the recipient and his family upside down and inside out! It won’t be easy to get a decent handout from this government but they are willing to splash money on vanity purchases like the recent $2,200 foldable bicycles! One of my readers commented that this is tantamount to “puay kay!”

To summarize, as a dutiful and concerned citizen, I’ve reported on what I witnessed last Fri night at New Upper Changi Rd. Ironically, the powerful PAP HQ is just a walking distance from that place I reported. They are in charge of this country’s destiny. Hopefully, our future PM who is now in-charge of social community affairs will get to the bottom of this social phenomenon which doesn’t augur well for us being the 3rd richest country on earth.

Click here to read the report.

Sometimes, as citizens we are afraid to bring up issues or problems cuz they will give us more headaches. For example, when we bring up shortage of night parking in HDB estates, our great MBT simply increased night parking from $2 to $4! If that is the case even I also can do that. No need them to solve our night parking problem. Really langgar!

As far as the homeless is concerned – whether they’ve got a home or not, please don’t follow what China has done! Pls read the new report below. That is not the way to solve our homeless sleeping in public places.

Click here to read the full story.

Source: http://therealsingapore.com/content/our-homeless-sleeping-public-places

SINGAPORE - What's it like being poor and homeless in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Homeless Part 2

SINGAPORE - Homeless Part 1

SINGAPORE - Homeless in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Homeless in Singapore’s Island Paradise

Homeless in Singapore’s Island Paradise

SEP 20

Posted by kjeyaretnam

You may recall that I wrote about the sad case of Rebecca Loh and the tragic consequences of our government’s callous policy of self- reliance at all costs. Recently I was saddened again by the plight of another victim of similar callousness though as yet still mercifully without the same tragic consequences.

I know of Madam L’s case because she had called our office to ask for help.  Yesterday I met up with her along with the assistance of one of our Hokkien speaking members. Before this our means of communication had been restricted to Malay. (My generation of Singaporeans were taught in English but non-Chinese learnt Malay as a second language.)

I will tell her story as she told it although we are still working on her case and no doubt more details will emerge.   I believe it is not atypical.

As with the case of Rebecca Loh , Madam X had been through a divorce and her ex husband had in fact passed away some years back. She had been renting an HDB unit until last year when she was evicted. Which is why she is now living on the streets.  She is currently being pursued by HDB for rental arrears of over $5,000 (US$4,000).  Strangely Madam L keeps the letters of demand from HDB on her person, folded into her clothing inside a plastic envelope. They constitute one of her few remaining personal possessions.

This is more remarkable for the fact that she is illiterate and has no job other than a small amount that she is able to make by collecting cardboard (according to her she gets paid about 8 Singapore cents a kilo).  She looked as though she had not been able to wash or launder her clothes for some time.

It is the cornerstone of PAP policy that elder citizens who hit a rough patch must move in with their children. Naturally HDB told her to go and live with her son. However he is already a non home owner, renting and subsisting in a one room HDB unit which he shares with his wife and three children. He survives by doing odd jobs.  Madam L says she has never had a regular job and thus had no CPF savings. Apart from her son she has a daughter but had become estranged from her many years back and has since lost touch.

The address on her NRIC card is that of her son and this is how HDB are able to contact her regularly with demands for the arrears.  In fact I wonder if this listing of relatives on NRIC cards is how the PAP are able to claim that there are no homeless people in Singapore? Technically I suppose she is homed in the one room unit with her son and his family.   HDB rules do not allow single people to rent a room and as moving in with her son was impossible, HDB had promised to match her up with someone to share with. However that was over a year ago now and the only communication she has had from them was in connection with the above mentioned arrears.

Although we were able to help her with her most immediate needs she clearly needs somewhere to live long-term as she is still only 65 and this is where she was primarily asking for my assistance. Madam L had immediately recognised the picture of my late father in our office saying, “Ah there is JBJ.” Unfortunately she mistakenly believed me to be a lawyer too. I’m not sure that being a lawyer would have been much help anyway. In fact, after going through this case and seeing how she had fallen through one gap after another I felt like I was back writing to the President of Singapore asking his office for a straight answer to the question, “ Did you approve this loan”. We all know how that got shunted from pillar to post.

As she was destitute I thought that she should qualify for Public Assistance. In the last Budget this was raised to S$450 (US$360) per month for a single person. She met the qualifying criteria since her lack of qualifications and advancing age would make it difficult to find a regular job and she had no other source of income. Her son already had several dependents and was presumably earning below the limit of $1700 (US$1360) per month.  Though S$450 is not a princely sum, she told us that her HDB rental used to be S$50 (US$40) per month so she should have had something left over for living expenses.  Clearly collecting cardboard is not something our elderly citizens should be doing.

We phoned ComCare but they referred us to the Family Centre in Ang Mo Kio. When we called that office their attitude at first was that of not being bothered. Eventually however an employee phoned us back (we will refer to her as Ms J).  She at first tried to fob us off by asking us to call Samaritans of Singapore, though it is hard to see how a counselling service for the suicidal (incidentally set up by my mother in Singapore) could help an elderly woman who was destitute. We asked that they send somebody down to interview the woman and see how they could help her, given that she clearly qualified for Public Assistance. Finding a roof over her head is obviously the most urgent priority.  I said that her situation was pretty desperate and she should not have to wait too long. Would they be able to come down on Friday and meet her at or near our office?

Ms J did not sound very hopeful but said she would get someone to call us back about possibly coming down on Friday at 4pm or failing that on Monday at the same time. As of today we are still waiting for them to call us.

It seems incomprehensible to me that the public housing agency would make a senior citizen without a job or any means of support homeless, even if she had run up rent arrears. They could at least have referred her to ComCare for assistance. Madam L had also used up her savings and meagre CPF on medical treatment which involved having a body brace fitted. She also told us that she had lost all her personal belongings when she was evicted including some medical equipment that she was using after that operation. Naturally, I will be following up the arrears demands with HDB after we deal with the more pressing needs.

Just as in the case of Rebecca Loh, it seems incomprehensible that a country where the government has accumulated surpluses amounting to several hundred billion dollars over the last few years should place so many obstacles in the path of its citizens in genuine need. After all the reserves belong ultimately to the people not to the government and the people produced that money that is the reserves.  They are the financial equivalent of Hotel California. You can put them in any time you like but you can never take them out! If you want to know more about our reserves read here and here. For my views on the losses accumulated by MAS read this.

I also wrote that Rebecca and Gabriel were known in her neighbourhood, that they were not recluses behind hidden doors.  Madam L is also known to the organisations that should be assisting her.  Although I have found again and again that even the limited amount of assistance available is frequently not taken up because those who need it do not know it is there or have trouble accessing the information. When people do apply then mean-minded bureaucrats often reject their applications on dubious grounds. Even in the case of something that should be automatic like Workfare, many of the poorly educated are not even aware of the scheme’s existence or how to apply.

I will update you shortly on whether the Family Centre has responded to her need for assistance. Meanwhile we are contacting various voluntary organisations to find Madam L a place in a hostel where she can have access to a bed and washing and laundry facilities. That can only be a temporary situation and really I don’t see why our genuinely deserving are reduced to begging for charity in the midst of so much government affluence?

I feel the same way about the Straits Times pocket money fund. Every year they raise a few million dollars and this amount is celebrated. But why should families be reduced to asking for charity to provide meals, clothing, basic stationary and books so that our children can attend school because in fact education is not yet free? After all the Straits Times’ profits are inflated because it enjoys a government monopoly through the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.

I will finish up here by quoting from my piece on Rebecca Loh where I explained my use of the rice bowl metaphor:

“….Remember I wrote this in February 2011 two and a half years before Gabriel died. If it sounds prophetic it is not. I was only stating the facts of life under the PAP then and they have not changed. Here is what I said,

“Sometimes the rice bowl slips from our fingers and cracks or breaks through sheer ill luck. There will be precious little sympathy for you in a porcelain rice bowl State should you be foolish enough to be retrenched, to have elderly parents, a chronic or terminal illness, a child with special needs or to be caring for a mentally or physically challenged dependant.”

Source:http://sonofadud.com