The Opposition urged Government to do more to ease Bermuda's chronic housing problems in yesterday's Senate Budget debate.

Government Senator Reginald Burrows said the Island's expatriate population had contributed to the economy but had added to housing pressures.

And he said there were many middle class people who were unable to afford a first home so Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) was there to help those people, as well as those needing rentals.

He read out the Government's housing plan which had earlier been read by Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent in the House of Assembly.

United Bermuda Party Senator Kenny Bascome said urgent action was needed after saying people would stop him in tears desperate to find accommodation where their families could be together.

He, along with colleagues Reverend Leonard Santucci and Sen. Kim Swan, renewed the Opposition's attack on Government plans to remove tenants from Anchorage Lane, St. George's and refurbish the apartments for sale.

Sen. Bascome said people were becoming more and more frustrated with not finding housing when guest workers were getting accommodation without any problems.

"We have much to offer the world but we cannot even supply adequate housing for our brothers and sisters? That's an indictment on all of us."

He said before the BHC worried about finding homes for those at the top end of the spectrum it should look to help those at the bottom.

Sen. Bascome said the Parks department recently evicted people living in tents while the Housing Minister was having to deal with families living in cars.

Rev. Santucci said the PLP Government had appointed four housing ministers in six years.

"We need a minister who can do more than go down to Anchorage Road and say 'God bless you, you have lived here a long time, now get outside. We need it for someone else'."

He said of the new Government. "Everything we were vilified for they have become in record time."

Independent Senator Carol Ann Bassett welcomed the shake-up of departments at BHC and said the real housing problem could be worse than people realise because many people lodged with relatives without even applying to get on the housing list.

Sen. Swan said 30 percent of Bermuda's population was poor or near poor but little was being done for them.

"Government talks about social cohesion but it hasn't practised it in Anchorage Road."

And he said the refurbished Anchorage Road homes would require a $5,000-a-month mortgage which would stretch beyond the reach of most Bermudians.

Sen. Swan said that after six years as the Government the PLP could no longer blame the UBP on the issue. "You can't look in the rear-view mirror and blame the boogie man of the UBP," he said.