As temperatures rise, low-income families in rental units struggle to beat the heat

"For 34-year-old homemaker Logeswari, who lives with five children in a two-room public rental flat in Bedok, the recent spate of very hot weather has made life harder in several ways: The nausea from her pregnancy feels more unbearable, her utility bills have doubled and her five-year-old son scratches himself throughout the night because of the heat."

"She and her children have eczema, which has been exacerbated by the hot and humid conditions and increased sweating."

"Ms Nor Aisyah, a 33-year-old homemaker with five children who lives in a two-room rental flat in Bedok, recently bought a portable air conditioner, too, for around S$500."

"This was very expensive for her, but she feels her children, aged six to 15, need it. The younger ones have become more susceptible to the common cold and fevers since the weather got hotter, she said, falling sick twice a month lately as infections easily spread in their close quarters."