Opposition Senator Gina Spence-Farmer has called on Government to do more for homeless families living in ‘death-trap’ conditions in the former Club Med property. She told yesterday’s Senate the old hotel in St. George’s lacked running water while squatters were using electrical extension cords to bring a makeshift power supply.

“It’s extremely dangerous,” said Sen. Spence-Farmer who recalled the recent fire at the Leopard’s Club. She said Government, which owns the site, had a responsibility to do more for squatters as it had given tacit approval for their stay after sending them a letter urging them to sign up with the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

Government would be held responsible if a fire broke out and lives were lost, said Sen. Spence-Farmer. Since she spoke about the problem in the Senate in December, she said 40 rooms are now occupied, the majority by families and about five or six by single people who are all holing up there because they are priced out of the housing market.

“There’s nothing to bathe or wash with. There’s not enough furniture. The situation is getting worse. The Finance Minister talked about the booming economy which is true.

“But how does that boom affect those people at the bottom of the barrel?

“What are we doing with all the money being the third richest country per capita in the world? These are working class Bermudians, doing all the right things. They don’t do drugs. The leave Club Med to go to work.”

She said Club Med was just a snapshot of the plight many Bermudians found themselves in. Other large homeless encampments included a tunnel in Paget and a place where people gathered to sleep in cars near the Ducking Stool.

“I believe Government must take a much more proactive approach. Government must get real about the depth of the poverty issue in this country. I don’t feel this Government has even attempted in depth to address the housing or homeless issue.”

Housing Minister David Burch was in the Senate Chamber for the start of Sen. Spence-Farmer’s speech but did not reply to it. And he refused to respond when approached by The Royal Gazette outside the Senate chamber.