THE MAN and his pregnant wife who lived on a lorry have moved into a rental flat and are so elated about having a place to call home they say it was like striking the lottery.
My Paper and Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao reported early last month on the plight of 44-year-old delivery man Wang Baohua, who lived like a nomad with his Vietnamese wife on a lorry.
The pair parked at Changi Beach Park at night and did their laundry and cooking on the back of the vehicle, washing up at a nearby public toilet.
He had tried applying for a two-room or rental flat from the Housing Board but was previously rejected as his spouse is a foreigner and his $1,900 salary does not fit the rental-flat requirements.
After the reports came out, the couple received numerous offers of help from readers, who popped by the Changi Beach Park with offers of food and even money, which they are grateful and moved by, Wanbao reported yesterday.
The pair were also aided by the HDB and moved into a two-room rental flat at Bedok North on Thursday.
When Wanbao visited their new home, they were sitting in the living room chatting.
Mr Wang said that although the flat was empty, they were very content and would settle the furniture matters later.
He shared that the monthly rent for the flat was $400.
When the couple moved in on Thursday afternoon, they scrubbed the floors with detergent before moving what little furniture they had on their lorry into their new home.
Mr Wang has also bought some items, including a mattress, a laundry rack and poles.
His wife was overjoyed and said she was so excited the night before moving in that she could not sleep.
She told her husband that their turn of good fortune had finally come.
The contract for their flat entitles them to only a year’s rent.
However, Mr Wang said they are not thinking that far into the future yet and instead wants to focus on helping his wife have a peaceful birth.
She is due in August, after which they may try applying for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat.
“This experience really moved me and let me see how warm people can be,” said Mr Wang.
myp@sph.com.sg
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