The homeless and rough sleepers are often overlooked by the general public and amid the Covid-19 outbreak, many might struggle to find decent, safe, and clean shelters.

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said in a Facebook post that 35 organisations have stepped forward to provide shelter for these people.

This was after the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) reached out to them in anticipation of more rough sleepers seeking shelter amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

These organisations, including churches, mosques, temples, and dedicated shelters, are part of MSF's Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network which provides safe shelter for rough sleepers.

"Some of these are Singapore Anglican Community Services together with the Anglican Diocese of Singapore, Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church, Pasir Panjang Church, Kassim Mosque and Assyakirin Mosque," said a MSF spokesperson.

Existing PEERS partners such as New Hope Community Services, Catholic Welfare Services, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Good News Community Services have also stepped forward to provide shelter and meals.

Sufficient capacity

The shelters in the PEERS Network can accommodate up to 700 rough sleepers.

"There is sufficient capacity as we have filled about 250 of these places," said the MSF spokesperson.

"We are grateful to all our partners for generously welcoming the homeless as guests into their premises and operating them round the clock during the Circuit Breaker period. Many of them stepped forward as they wanted to offer their space and resources to help the vulnerable during this challenging period."

Safe distancing measures implemented

With heightened safe distancing measures in place, these shelters have been advised to set beds at least 2 metres apart, stagger meal times, and minimise the deployment of staff on the ground.

MSF also inspects the premises to ensure compliance with these requirements.

In his Facebook post, Lee also encouraged the general public to help the homeless by contributing to these shelters, providing meals and daily necessities, or assisting with employment opportunities.

If you see anyone in need of shelter, you can reach out to [email protected] or call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000.

Top images via Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church and AWP Architects.