Mr Seow has three children, who together pay $800 into his bank account. But he said he is not close to them and cannot ask them for help.

Mr Seow, a widower, is fitted with a prosthetic leg. He said he lost his right leg in an accident in 1990 when he was working for a construction company.

He said his troubles started in May last year. He was then living with his eldest son, 38, and daughter-in-law in a four-room HDB flat in Woodlands.

Mr Seow claimed he fell out with them over a misunderstanding.

The flat, jointly owned by him and his son, was sold last month.

He then moved into the Yishun flat which his son found for him.

After a month, Mr Seow claimed, his landlord accused him of not paying rent, though, according to him, his son had paid two months' rent.

He said his son did not tell him where he moved to. And he could not reach his son on the phone. He did not even try to call his other two children.

Mr Seow gave us his children's handphone numbers but when we called, the phones were either off or the numbers were no longer in use.

Earlier this month, he had gone to the HDB office to apply for a rental flat. But he said he was turned down - as his flat was sold only in May, he cannot rent another flat directly from HDB for 30 months.

An HDB spokesman told The New Paper: 'HDB's rental flats are meant for poor and needy households who cannot afford ownership flats and do not have any other housing options.

'For those with genuine housing needs, and are without other alternatives, HDB has been helping them in various ways.'

The spokesman added that Mr Seow has three children with their own HDB flats who support him financially.

COULDN'T AFFORD RENT

Mr Seow said he found another room to rent in Yishun, but could not afford the $500-a-month rent.

He said he spends about $200 on medical bills and $300 on food each month. The remaining $300 of his monthly allowance goes for other expenses, including cigarettes.

We asked to see his bank book but he said he could not find it.

He did not want to ask other relatives or friends for help. 'They have their own difficulties,' he said.

Over the past week, he has been showering at a petrol station and in public toilets.

When The New Paper team spoke to him on Wednesday, two social workers were also there.

Mr Eddie Tan, the chairman of Chong Pang Zone 2 Residents' Committee, said he had found Mr Seow a shelter to put up at and had also offered to lock up his belongings at the town council.

Mr Seow was reluctant to move to the shelter at first as he did not want to share a room. He was also afraid that his belongings would get lost.

But last night, he said he would move to the shelter this morning.

Fiona Liaw, newsroom intern

This story was first published in The New Paper on June 27, 2008.