← Back

← Back

Dr Harry Tan is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore. His research work are broadly in the areas of homelessness, social inequality, lower-income populations, housing support, and community empowerment.

Trained as an urban sociologist at the University of Chicago, Emeritus Professor Ho Kong Chong’s research interests are in neighbourhood and community development, heritage and place-making, the political economy of cities as well as a more recent interest in higher education. Much of his published work is on East Asian (Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei) and Southeast Asian (Bangkok and Singapore) cities. Recent publications include “The Neighbourhood Roots of Social Cohesion: Notes on an exceptional case of Singapore” Environment and Planning C (2018, with Chua) and Neighbourhoods for the City in Pacific Asia (University of Amsterdam Press, 2019). His active research projects include: the Ministry of National Development (MND) funded “Study of Mixed Housing Typologies” (Lead Researcher), SSRTG grant “In Work Poverty and Challenges of Getting by among the Young” (Co Lead), USPC_NUS grant “Governing Diverse Cities in Europe and Asia”, MND funded “PLAB: A Research and Design Investigation of the Redevelopment of the Paya Lebar Airbase” (Co-Lead) and SSHR grant “Fostering Positive Community Behavior (Co-Lead).

Derek has been involved in the homelessness scene for 10 years. He has been volunteering with Homeless Hearts of Singapore for 10 years and he is a social worker at New Hope Community Services for almost 5 years. During the day, Derek journeys with homeless persons at a transitional shelter where he works with them to get long-term housing and employment; at night, he is the Volunteer Head and Outreach Coordinator of Homeless Hearts of Singapore, where he manages the volunteers and oversees the outreaches and initiatives to befriend our homeless friends. He is very passionate about the homelessness cause and he always believes in “Homelessness is not a problem to be solved, but people to be loved”.

Ms Chia Choong Yeen oversees residential support and licensing functions at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, with a focus on helping rough sleepers attain stability through providing interim shelters and supporting them in long-term housing solutions. Her division collaborates with community partners, under the ambit of PEERS Network, to reach out to rough sleepers, understand their needs and design services to help them return to normalcy. With 20 years of experience in the public sector, she has worked across diverse functions in international relations, policy, strategy planning and service delivery. Her earlier career as a journalist shaped her passion in supporting vulnerable communities, a mission she carries into her current role. She holds a Master’s in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is passionate in adopting user-centric approach in designing services for the vulnerable groups. She is also a columnist and enjoys writing about inspirational stories on hope and resilience.

Flora is a senior social worker with Care Corner Singapore, specialising in youth work through street outreach, community initiatives, and close collaboration with partners such as schools and law enforcement personnel. She has worked with youths for over 6 years and received the Promising Social Worker Award in 2023 for her leadership in transforming youth programmes through innovative, evidence-based approaches.

Ann Tat is a Senior Social Worker with New Hope Community Services in Singapore. He brings over two decades of experience in the social sector, working across youth development, community engagement, and housing support. Previously, Ann Tat led the management of a transitional shelter, supporting displaced individuals to rebuild their lives through holistic case management and partnerships. He has since pivoted toward community building, where he now supports residents in Singapore’s first Single Room Shared Facilities (SRSF) pilot project — an innovative public housing initiative by HDB. In this role, he and his team provide social support to tenants, fostering connection, community, and resilience among individuals staying there.

Nimalen (Senior Social Worker) currently heads the case management team at Angsana Home @ Pelangi Village, and has been in the social service sector for the past 9 years. During this time, he has performed the roles of a social worker at the Family Service Centres (FSC), Half-way House (Ashram), and as a Medical Social Worker at the National University Hospital (NUH). Having graduated with a Masters in Social Work (SUSS) in 2021, Nimalen provides clinical supervision to his case management team and also provides consultation to other stakeholders when needed. During his time in the social service, Nimalen has had many opportunities to work with clients with difficult circumstances and thrived at doing so. This led him to wanting to work at Angsana Home, a welfare home under the Ministry of Family and Social Development (MSF) which manages one of the most behaviorally challenging clients in Singapore.

Brian Monteiro PBM has been with Catholic Welfare Services for almost twenty years. Over the last twelve years, his focus has been primarily on Rough Sleepers — befriending them on the streets, journeying with them toward the hope of attaining permanent housing, and continuing the friendship and staying in touch thereafter. Through his befriending work, Brian has learnt many life lessons, the greatest being Dignity and Respect. From this friendship, several initiatives were born, such as the S3Ps, which offer Rough Sleepers a chance to sleep Safely and Soundly for the night; the Night Café, a space for more meaningful engagement and strong community support; and the LunchTime ladle, which reaches out to lonely elderlies and Rough Sleepers, giving them the opportunity to experience fine dining.

Evon is the Senior Assistant Director for Transitional Care and Community Partnerships at the upcoming Tengah General and Community Hospital, where she develops care models that embed health and support within everyday community life. Grounded in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), her work builds relational ecosystems that draw on local capacities, belonging, and shared responsibility for health. With over a decade of experience in population health, community partnerships, and research on health resilience, she has contributed to the introduction of Local Area Coordination (LAC) in Singapore and studied its practice in the UK. She has also contributed to Caring Communities, a publication on building health resilience in Singapore and Power and Connection: The International Development of Local Area Coordination which documents how LAC has evolved globally. She holds a BA in Sociology with Economics.