Shadow Minister for Seniors Louise Jackson yesterday called for the Housing Minister to give more help to vulnerable elders following a $75 rise in Bermuda Housing Trust rent.

Residents in studios on Happy Valley Road, Pembroke, most of whom are in their 70s and 80s, were last month told rent had gone up from $550 to $625 per month.

Mrs. Jackson said the move — the latest in a series of rent increases — means some of them are finding it even more difficult to cope with soaring prices on food and fuel.

And she called for Minister of Housing David Burch to come forward with a plan to protect seniors "in whatever way possible".

"There are many people in Bermuda facing difficult cost-of-living pressures. Our seniors, most of whom get by on very limited fixed incomes, are among the least able to absorb cost increases," said Mrs. Jackson in a statement.

"In June, a notice was sent to people living in Bermuda Housing Trust properties that their rents would be increased by $75. This may not seem like much to some people but to the seniors living in these homes it is a challenge."

Mrs. Jackson said Housing Trust properties were set up to help seniors live within their means in a clean and comfortable way.

"The Trust does a great job and its properties do just that, but it is a legacy that must be protected, particularly against rising costs," she said.

"While we do not want to limit the trust from meeting its economic requirements, we believe there comes a time when the vulnerability of their tenants must be the first consideration.

"We urge the Housing Minister, David Burch, to step in to help seniors. Now is the time to protect these highly vulnerable citizens.

"Each month, the high cost of living claims their incomes, sometime even more than their income. With the inflation rate rising on food and fuel, these pressures will only get worse.

"We therefore think it's time for Government to step forward with a plan to protect in whatever way possible our most vulnerable citizens."

A 76-year-old Happy Valley resident — who lives in a one bedroom studio — told The Royal Gazette: "It annoys me because some people are on the poverty line and they are suffering. Seventy-five dollars is a lot of money for me, with food prices going up as they are and electricity going up. It doesn't leave you much to go on."

Sen. Burch's press officer did not respond to a request for a comment.