Activist urges structured pathway from homelessness to self-reliance

An activist has proposed a five-tier support system to help homeless people transition from temporary shelter to independent living, as the government reviews existing homeless outreach operations.

Yayasan Chow Kit founder Hartini Zainudin said the model, inspired by shelter and reintegration programmes in New York, would provide progressively greater support as individuals achieved goals set with their support providers.

“We focus too much on getting people off the streets and too little on understanding why they ended up there,” she told FMT.

Under the proposal, the first two tiers would address immediate needs such as shelter, healthcare and documentation, before moving on to counselling, skills training and personalised planning.

The remaining tiers would focus on helping individuals secure employment, maintain stable housing and achieve financial independence, ultimately supporting their long-term integration into the community.

Hartini’s proposal comes after federal territories minister Hannah Yeoh called for a review of homeless outreach operations conducted over the past three years to identify gaps in assistance and prevent those helped off the streets from becoming homeless again.

Hartini also proposed a matched-savings scheme under which participants would receive an additional RM100 for every RM100 saved from earned income, up to a specified limit, to help cover rental deposits or build emergency savings.

“The central distinction is that tiers determine additional opportunities and incentives, not whether a person deserves basic assistance,” she said.

Hartini said Malaysia’s current approach to homelessness was fragmented, with limited coordination among welfare agencies, local authorities, healthcare providers and NGOs.

She called for greater emphasis on preventing homelessness and for people with lived experience of homelessness to be involved in designing support programmes.

Rights-based approach

Meanwhile, Khazanah Research Institute research associate K Theebalakshmi called for a rights-based approach to homelessness, arguing that Malaysia should recognise adequate housing as a basic human right rather than focus primarily on temporary shelter.

“In Malaysia, the right to adequate housing is not explicitly recognised as a fundamental right in the Federal Constitution,” she said.

She also called for Malaysia to rethink its social protection system, which currently centres on cash transfers and social insurance schemes, saying it must include housing support for vulnerable groups.

“Social housing can be recognised as a form of social protection that provides a safety net for vulnerable groups, including those at risk of or experiencing homelessness,” she said.

Theebalakshmi said this would require expanding access to secure tenancy and affordable rental housing, alongside job opportunities, healthcare and income assistance to help people maintain stable accommodation.

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