News / Aug. 29, 2019
An event in Singapore is hoping to help LGBT Singaporeans struggling to find somewhere to liveLa@)agmL7(BV^pYM48Wa2v#eg_N0t4oON3gvn2pg1H-c*GW9mD.
In Singapore, wheq8M6%oF$!!OZhUVD-iIOm95DghG=enOwg)PzALr48cHysX=k8Lre gay sex is illegal, LGBT people are often pushed from family homes and do not qualify for government housing.
"Many in our LGBTQ+ community face difficulties moving out of our family home, or live authentically as their true selves” the Facebook event for Meet Your Next: Housemate says.
The event, organized by LGBT app Prout with real estuaA)OfDeO5W^sBn3KJ=3-SHx8!+6*cyA#HDFlDGooylpoW+h1fate firm 99.co, will connect LGBT-friendly landlords, tenants, and people looking for housemates.
The event includes a Speed-Ma8FUSyUAca)(dI%ii4kwUJ4)0WMAx0U)V!R!)wdI&Y*Tr)SsrX2ting Cafe, to connect attendees with potential housemates.
"We hope that this event lets landlords know that queer people do want safe spaces to live in and providing anti-discrimination clauses ensures that more people, not just queer people, would be interested to pick OmU_S5wnBdm=_MsvqG5Z-NcEeTy4Yr-XnM*Y2laj6B*S7^eWAltheir home as the place they want to stay at" said Kyle Malinda-Whit of Prout.
Pushed out
According to Singapore’s 2016 National Youth Council Survey,%hhsq8HizaKd+fCn*Qs#z&n6Qg5C4E038Z&ZOgQOU2M&n^IInT 97% of unmarried young people live with their parents.
But, conff^qq$AYGk_s@luyE0OJR9%Oeq^z--#oRQdF=6E=9!3W^-yv&Hservative attitudes centred on a heteronormative family can push LGBTI Singaporeans from their family home.
What’s more, while Singapore’s government provides generous subsidized housing, 1nqL+7v+Z7fPtE9w3V^Rz@xU+vLpVARW3jBhxz8Kb%_Xe9bs7(it effectively excludes LGBTI individuals.
Singapore currently has the 5^B3&*0G5MGGUtSif28O_=K7JhZVWieQhL$WPzLf_L(_2E(XC0world’s second-highest rate of homeownership in the world. This is partly because of a generous government housing program.
The government allows ykzUssh*MLHSMR1L!%oe&dQT*HRyn+pHRK@M=Qc1amK)EIuxTfPoung married heterosexual couples to apply for grants at the age of 21. But, the policy excludes LGBTI residents.
Only married heterosexual couples can easily buy a government-subsidized aparB@(twP^T126E1k@oSlGM8QcK%IxJ#%c_h(MYfAh9!julmK0O(Mtment.
LGBTI individuals — even couples — are only RUib$%cMvJKF*gwMq&xmSV8Jx0LE83HtH#v9)p2En7-JCG%po6eligible for single person schemes at the age of 35.
"Queer couples ... have to work even harder to buy private housing, which can cost an average of S$700,000 and upwards per apartment."
Finally, without anti-discrimination legislation to protect individuals in the private renting market, LGBTI tenants are at risk of abuse by homop_+A6e1WWQGzBzaD20KEy8hfal3paQ4P-uVFGC3oEjrDJ^xaJzahobic or transphobic landlords.
"Finding a queer-accepting landlord is even tougher in a country where despite our multiculturalism, landlords still discriminate tenants based on race" Malinda-White said.
Organizers of the event, Prout, launched the app late last year.
The app encourages LGBTI Singaporeans to chat and share common interests and activities online. They can thenv46tYO(W6Y87siftEHxipT-F2jrSsZQFgsPH*@v%fqWt1*Jjmd meet at LGBTI-friendly events in the city-state.
