A rental unit turned into a garbage house, with spider webs and cardboard everywhere, a bed stained with faeces, and even maggots and insects crawling around.
Piles of items filled the flat, prompting a volunteer team of 20 people to help a man in his 60s clean his home.
Volunteers Discover Shocking Living Conditions
The local volunteer organisation “Keeping Hope Alive” recently visited Block 5 at Banda Street in Chinatown and found a one-room flat on the fourth floor in extremely poor condition.
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Members had to spend considerable time and effort to help the resident complete the cleaning work.
The organisation’s founder, Fion Phua, led members to this block on 20 Apr 2025 for home visits, going door to door looking for residents who needed help.
When some members knocked on the uncle’s door and found his home in a worrying hygienic condition, they immediately notified her.
“The condition of the unit was urgent, with dirt and garbage everywhere, faeces and urine stains on the bed and floor. We started cleaning right away,” she said.
According to photos and videos, the uncle’s home was in extremely poor hygienic conditions.
Various items piled up like mountains, including old clothes, newspapers, plastic bags, and bicycle tires, were scattered everywhere, leaving almost no space to step.
Resident Faces Significant Health Challenges
Spider webs were also visible everywhere, the sink was severely clogged, and fruit in the refrigerator had rotted and was infested with insects.
The most horrifying of them all was the bed – when members lifted the sheets, they saw a mattress stained with piles of faeces, with dozens of insects and maggots crawling all over.
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Mdm Phua immediately mobilised 20 members to handle tasks like throwing garbage, cleaning the furniture, and washing the bathroom, with everyone working together to complete the mission.
The volunteers later helped cut the uncle’s hair and buy a new mattress.
When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the unit last Thursday (1 May 2025), they were greeted by 62-year-old Mr. Liao (name transliterated from Mandarin).
Though the unit’s condition had greatly improved after the volunteers’ cleaning efforts, it appeared to be quite messy again when reporters arrived.
The reporters observed that the bedsheets, which were replaced on 20 Apr 2025, were now covered with stains. The floor was also full of clutter and spotted marks.
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Mr. Liao told reporters that he lives with his younger brother, each occupying half of the unit. He said his brother is busy with work and finds it difficult to clean the house or take care of him.
He mentioned that he is physically weak and unable to work, surviving only on monthly government subsidies.
He also revealed that he suffers from incontinence, which results in faeces and urine stains on the bed and floor.
“I don’t want to be like this. If I could control it, why would I let myself become this way?” he said.
Mr. Liao relies on welfare organisations for daily meal deliveries, but cannot manage the hygiene issues. He feels both helpless and resigned about his situation and hopes to receive assistance from the authorities.
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