Homeless shelter put on back burner
By Clare O'Connor
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Inside of the Salvation Army's homeless shelter
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The planned overhaul of the Salvation Army's homeless shelter has been delayed due to a lack of funds, according to Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler.
Mr. Butler told The Royal Gazette yesterday that "the timeline has slowed down" for the complete renovation of the North Street facility, which was built in 1982 as a temporary structure.
The building was intended to last 15 years, but is still being used to house 55 homeless Bermudians 27 years on.
The Government pledged to start work on the shelter in the 2005 Throne Speech, and intended to break ground this past January, said Mr. Butler. However with his Social Rehabilitation budget being directed to other programmes, and with the economic crisis hitting Bermuda, he has had to put the project on the back burner.
"Government made its priorities Day Care, FutureCare, and Financial Assistance," Mr. Butler explained. "I think that was a great decision."
He said that Government currently has $1 million earmarked for the new 100-bed shelter, but acknowledged that this sum would not cover the entire project, hence the delay. "We didn't want to get down there and do the drilling, and get the residents out, and then run out of money," he said. "One million will take care of demolition and footing work."
Mr. Butler did not provide a timeline for completion of the new homeless shelter, saying he had "stuck his neck out" in the past by providing dates, only to disappoint.
"I'll be seen as the guy who gives dates and keeps changing his mind," he said.
The Social Rehabilitation Minister added that the Government sees provision of a new, larger homeless shelter as a "critically important initiative", and noted that he is set to announce the creation of a committee on homelessness in the coming weeks to discuss the issue.
Mr. Butler said that the Government will soon put the construction of the new shelter out to tender.
Also going out to tender will be the running of the shelter itself, meaning that the Salvation Army may not be responsible for looking after the homeless residents in the future.
The Salvation Army's Bermuda divisional commander Major Doug Lewis said he was hopeful that his organisation's "track record and number of years of experience in Bermuda and elsewhere" would be taken into account.
"We'd like to be considered, and hope to get it," he said of the contract. "We're prepared to do anything. Of course, our first aim is to get these people looked after whether it is us, or someone else."
Maj. Lewis said the Salvation Army has seen a 300 percent increase in the need for its family services in the first five months of this year, compared to the same five months in 2008.
Between January and May 2009, 408 people required the Salvation Army's food bank, vouchers and temporary assistance, as opposed to 137 the year before.
Maj. Lewis added that the homeless shelter has "outlived its natural, intended life", and will not, in his opinion, withstand another hurricane.
"We'd have to evacuate people," he said. "It couldn't withstand the winds."
He hopes the Government is able to deliver on its promise of a new larger shelter in the near future.
"We turn people away people don't come as they know we're full," he said. "I think we can fill a 100-bed facility, no problem."
