Thank you for reading and commenting, Angell. I saw that you became a referred member, so let me be the first to welcome you to Medium!

Sharing a hovel for 3k CAD sounds rough. Multi-generation homes are definitely a big thing in Singapore. Except in Singapore, when I say homes, I really mean apartments. And when I say apartments, I really mean public housing blocks. More than 80% of ALL Singaporeans stay in public housing. They're not condo quality, but the flats are quite nice, actually. They're still really expensive though. Think $300k-1m++ minimum.

As for the poor in Singapore, I have no idea as to how they stack up to Canada. They get a fair bit of help, in terms of subsidized housing (if your income falls below a certain amount, you get offered a one-room apartment for $50 a month. A flat across from mine caters to just such subsidized housing) and support to help you find jobs, but we don't have stipends or anything like that. Do people go on the dole in Canada?

Singapore, in general, is very big on offering some help, but not so much so that one cannot pull oneself up by one's own bootstrap and in turn become a burden to society. This policy is part of the reason why we are able to keep our taxes so low. There is almost no homelessness here. If you're homeless, you're almost certainly doing it out of your own volition or have mental health conditions. Certainly no one is starving or freezing to death. here.

I am unsure what to feel about the aforementioned policy, but it is what it is. It has been this way ever since Singapore has been around, and has contributed to much of Singapore's financial success and its handful of societal flaws.