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HDB says viral post on rental eviction reused old image; NGO to submit documents for clarification
HDB clarified on 21 April that a viral social media post about a family’s eviction over rent arrears does not match any current tenant records. The Notice to Quit image was reused from a 2022 post. The NGO behind it, Project Awareness, says it will submit documents to clear up the misunderstanding.
SINGAPORE: On 21 April 2025, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) issued a public clarification regarding a viral social media post that claimed a family living in a rental flat was facing eviction over unpaid rent.
The post, published on 20 April by community group Project Awareness, included an image purporting to show a Notice to Quit (NTQ) allegedly issued by HDB and detailed a dire situation involving a family with S$1,500 in rental arrears.
In response, HDB stated that they had checked their records and confirmed that no recent rental tenant cases match the details presented in the post.
Photo reused from 2022, says HDB
The agency also noted discrepancies in the NTQ letter shown in the image, stating that the wording does not resemble any recently issued letters.
They further revealed that the same photo had been used in a 2022 post, which similarly sought donations for a supposed case involving a vulnerable family.
HDB is currently attempting to contact the project organiser to verify the facts and to determine whether the family mentioned are indeed tenants of an HDB public rental flat.
“We are trying to reach out to the project organiser to clarify the facts,” the agency said, “particularly whether the family referred to in the post are tenants of an HDB public rental flat.”
Compassionate approach to tenants in arrears
HDB reiterated that it adopts a compassionate stance when dealing with tenants who fall behind on rental payments.
The agency explained that when tenants experience financial hardship, officers will reach out via phone calls and home visits to understand their specific circumstances.
Rents may be reviewed, and tenants are often given the option to repay arrears in instalments.
Where appropriate, HDB also refers tenants to Social Service Offices, Family Service Centres, or other social agencies for further financial and social support.
HDB also urged members of the public to exercise caution when considering contributing to third-party fundraising efforts.
They advised that the authenticity of any letter or document claiming to originate from HDB can be verified through their feedback form at go.gov.sg/hdb-feedbackform or by calling their hotline at 6490-1111.
Tenants facing financial challenges are encouraged to seek assistance from their respective HDB Branches directly.
Details of viral post by Project Awareness
According to Project Awareness’ original post, the family in question comprises an 80-year-old grandmother, a 49-year-old mother recently recovering from heart bypass surgery, and two young grandchildren aged nine and seven.
The mother, described as the family’s sole breadwinner, had reportedly been working two jobs before her operation and continues to work as a retail promoter.
Due to the family’s financial strain, their power supply had been cut off over unpaid bills totalling more than S$1,200.
The post described the grandmother selling tissue packets with the grandchildren on weekends, citing this as a desperate act to support the family.
The group appealed to the public to help raise at least S$4,000 to clear urgent debts and stabilise the family’s situation.
Post removed and reinstated by Facebook
Shortly after it gained traction, the post was removed by Facebook, with the platform initially citing a violation of its community standards related to fraud and scams.
However, Project Awareness later shared a screenshot showing that the post had been reinstated after an appeal.
A message from Facebook’s review team acknowledged the removal was an error.
NGO responds to public and HDB comments
Following HDB’s clarification, members of the public pointed out the agency’s statement in the comments section of the group’s Facebook post.
In response, Project Awareness stated that they are aware of the HDB’s latest statement and will be submitting all the necessary documents to the authorities for their reference and to clear the misunderstanding.
The group added, “Appreciate the information, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
POFMA orders issued to PSP’s Leong Mun Wai in February 2024 over false claims on social support to couple
While HDB issued a clarification over the viral claims made by Project Awareness, no correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) was issued.
This contrasts with a similar case in February 2024, when POFMA correction directions were issued by Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, against Progress Singapore Party’s Leong Mun Wai and news sites Gutzy Asia and The Online Citizen.
These orders were in response to false statements suggesting that a financially struggling couple had received only minimal support in the form of a Home Caregiving Grant.
Leong’s 12 February social media post, later republished by the two news platforms, failed to acknowledge the substantial assistance already provided to the couple.
The MSF clarified that the couple had received about S$39,000 in aid since 2021, including NTUC and CDC vouchers.
Leong had also claimed the woman’s Medisave account was depleted, making her unable to afford physiotherapy, and cited limited monthly support without addressing the couple’s CPF withdrawal options.
He stepped down as PSP Chief on 20 February, taking responsibility for the correction direction.
During a parliamentary session on 4 March 2024, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua defended the government’s decision to disclose the couple’s CPF and Medisave balances.
This was done to correct public misinformation while maintaining the couple’s anonymity, he said.
However, Gerald Giam of the Workers’ Party questioned whether such disclosures align with public sector privacy laws and whether they might discourage residents from seeking assistance.
Chua maintained that protecting the couple’s anonymity was prioritised, and the disclosures were essential to ensure factual accuracy.
Parliamentary exchanges also addressed how Leong became involved. Melvin Yong of the PAP asked if any data breaches occurred. Chua responded that no such breach took place.
He revealed that the couple had never contacted Leong, but had written to Pritam Singh in 2020. According to MSF, Singh phoned the couple on 11 February 2024, informing them someone would visit. Leong then arrived the next day.
Chua questioned the timing and coordination of these actions, noting they occurred days before the 2024 Budget speech.
He implied this could have been an attempt to influence public opinion against the government’s welfare efforts.
