More than 30 squatters at a former hotel have joined forces to form a ‘People’s Alliance’ in a bid to make the derelict building a better place to live.

Many of the people living at the old Club Med resort in St. George’s are skilled and have jobs but are unable to to afford the Island’s high rents and cost of buying a home.

They have been dubbed Bermuda’s ‘working poor’ — part of a growing segment of the population caught in the housing trap.

Now to make life more bearable 33 people, ranging in age from 14 to 56, living at Club Med have bonded together to pool skills and food under the People’s Alliance banner.

The skilled labourers, carpenters, beauticians and even some Government workers run the Alliance to ensure each resident has access to food and that their most basic needs are met.

One resident — who The Royal Gazette is calling Denise to protect her real identity — said: “A member of our community who is a painter decided to paint one of the empty rooms so that we could start a food bank.

“Another visited grocery stores to see if they would give us food that would otherwise be thrown away.

“Our efforts were successful and now we have a relatively good supply of nonperishable food.

“This means that if someone does not have money for food they can visit the food bank. We are definitely a community here and try to pitch in to help each other.”

The East End property looks like it has been battered by a strong hurricane.

There is no running water, curtains can be seen blowing through broken windows and doors, and the paint is peeling on the outside of the building.

It is easy to imagine that the residents would be desperate or depressed.

Some of them are ashamed and sad and are overcome with tears when they think about their current living situation.

Others have decided to take positive steps in an effort to make the best of a horrible situation.

One such resident is Denise, a 39-year old qualified cosmetologist, who lives with her 17-year-old daughter in one of the two-bedroom units at the dormitory.

She refuses to be labelled as ‘homeless’ and prefers to be referred to as ‘houseless’.

She readily accepts that she must take responsibility for her current circumstances.

“In all honesty I am where I am because of a lot of my own mistakes. I have to blame myself.

“I wasn’t as responsible as I should have been, but you know with age you learn and sometimes when you are in a hole it is harder to get out then to get in.

“I have always worked I just didn’t make enough money to pay my bills on time.

“It actually stems from not getting a good education in school when I was younger. I worked but I spent the money instead of saving it,” she said.

Denise said she sees other young women making similar mistakes and offered them these words of advice.

“I would like to tell those girls who have to go out every holiday and buy a new outfit and have their hair done every week and every two weeks get their nails done to stop the madness because you will end up right here and this is not a place you want to be,” she advised.

Denise, like a lot of the residents, is grateful that the Government has not kicked them out of their rundown homes.

They are aware that they would be forced to leave if the property is sold, but for now they are happy that they have a roof over their heads and are not forced to live in Bermuda’s public parks and beaches.

“We don’t have running water and the electricity is not up to par but I am grateful for what I have.

“Dipping water and taking a bucket of water to flush the toilet is no big deal to me.

“I am just grateful that I have a roof over my head rather than living in the trees,” she added.

“So many of us have specific skills but could use some training in money management and perhaps some could benefit from drug counselling.

“If the Government can’t help us find affordable homes right now, perhaps they could send counsellors here and equip us with skills so that we can make better life choices,” she added.

Denise admits her daughter has had a difficult time adjusting to living in the dormitories, but she said the experience has taught her some valuable life lessons.

“The positive side of this is that she knows that life is not easy.

“She knows that in order for her not to live in these conditions she has to get an education and she has to learn to save money. She has to be disciplined and this is what this experience has taught her and for that I am grateful.

“On the other hand she is embarrassed and ashamed, but who wouldn’t be?”