Derrick Phipps, a member of City Hall’s Committee on Homelessness, has announced his intention to run for councillor in the upcoming municipal elections.

The former pensions lawyer — who slipped into drug addiction and ended up living on the streets — said the issue of homelessness would be at the top of his agenda if he was successfully elected.

Exactly a year ago, Mr Phipps joined the Committee on Homelessness with the assistance of RoseAnn Edwards, the city councillor, whom he described as his “friend and confidante”.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette yesterday, he said: “I had an opportunity to serve the community with several people on the Corporation of Hamilton proper and now, more than ever, I feel that people need to have a person who is committed to articulate their concerns.

“I have the energy and I have had an opportunity to look at the inner workings of the Corporation.”

Mr Phipps held down a successful career as a lawyer and said that he wrote legislation in Washington DC and San Francisco, but began taking cocaine when he came to live in Bermuda and could not find work.

Convicted of possession of a small amount of cocaine, he could not return to the US and he became depressed.

He now has his life back on track and feels that a career in politics is the way forward, and that his own experiences will help him.

Mr Phipps said that while he felt positively about Government’s donation of the Bishop Spencer building to the Salvation Army for renovation as a new homeless facility, he believes any facility would benefit from a graduated format with the appropriately trained staff, programmes and resources.

“What we attempted to do [on the Committee on Homelessness], and what we can finish doing, is to develop a comprehensive facility where we can take into account all the issues, including medical issues, substance-abuse and mental-health issues that come with homelessness,” he said.

“When you combine these and other issues hidden from the public, you have someone who needs help. You can’t just feed them.

“It will take more than the Salvation Army; it is going to take the community at large. The Salvation Army does a fantastic job. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them. However, that facility alone will become another ghetto if comprehensive programmes are not in place to deal with the medical issues, abuse issues.

“You have people who have been living in a facility for 20-something years but what the Corporation is looking at is a graduated facility.

“A group from the Corporation of Hamilton and the Salvation Army had an opportunity to go to Ontario, Canada, and look at a graduated model there where they had that particular support system in place.”

Mr Phipps said there were many pressing issues that he would tackle as councillor.

He voiced his support for the upcoming America’s Cup but said that North Hamilton could benefit more.

“There is a vibrant community in the back of town,” he said. “Chewstick went in and helped to revitalise the area, and the whole attitude towards it changed.

“I want to rejuvenate North Hamilton. Look at Harbour Nights: why not alternate it, rather than having it exclusively on Front Street? Why not have it on Court Street as well?”

He said he would also like to promote al fresco dining in the city and believes that the Economic Empowerment Zone is an “illusionary notion” that divides Hamilton.

The municipal elections are due to take place on May 7.