Government must make a determined effort to address the housing crisis and get serious about eliminating poverty, said Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity International, who in on the Island this week.

With his goal to eliminate poverty around the world, Mr. Fuller said he was shocked to discover the seriousness of Bermuda?s housing crisis.

?The caring people of this beautiful country must make a policy decision that everyone who lives here should have a good simple and decent place to live and to figure out how to make that possible,? said Mr. Fuller. ?It is not rocket science to make available affordable housing for everyone. What it will take is a concerted effort.?

Mr. Fuller founded the house-building organisation Habitat for Humanity in 1976 with his wife Linda. The organisation has grown over the years to build homes with more than 150,000 families in need in nearly 3,000 communities around the globe. Volunteers build houses for an average of $50,000 to $60,000 and $100,000 in wealthier regions of the United States. Mr. Fuller has travelled extensively throughout the world and has helped to build homes in Africa and in the Pacific Islands similar to the size of Bermuda.

Mr. Fuller said Habitat for Humanity has not been able to build houses in Bermuda from the ground up due to the costs of labour and building expenses.

?The way things are now in Bermuda to build even a modest house is in the neighbourhood of $250,000 ? it?s too much and it is not right,? said Mr. Fuller. ?You cannot expect a person who is a waitress or taking out the garbage or in a service job to afford to pay for a $250,000 house.?

Mr. Fuller said there must be a change of mind-set among the wealthy community who are apathetic about the issue.

?As long as people are quiet in their tents, not bothering you, they are out of sight and out of mind. If you don?t address these serious problems they will become an infected sore negatively affecting the whole society.?

He suggests Government begin serious discussion and make an effort to approach the issue differently than it has in the past which may be in the form of past which may be in the form of a land gift to build low income homes.

Mr. Fuller also suggests Government conduct a survey of exactly how many people on the Island are without proper shelter and set about devising a housing plan that can be successful within the next ten to 15 years.

Mr. Fuller uses the Netherlands, a country he said that has no poverty housing, of how some governments are committed to providing affordable housing. ?The housing crisis can be solved. If the Netherlands, with 15 million people, can solve their housing crisis then so can Bermuda.?

Mr. Fuller has received a number of prestigious awards for his dedication to providing homes for thousands of people all over the world. In 1996, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Bill Clinton. In 1994 he and his wife were awarded the Harry S. Truman Public Service Award. He also received the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from both the state of Georgia and the King Center.

Mr. Fuller will speak at the Whitney Institute tonight at 7 p.m.