In a country with no fewer than 1,101 homeless people, it might be easy for some to treat that number as just a statistic. But as a case manager at Home, I’ve met a large percentage of those people, and I can tell you — they are not just numbers.

Some are employed across industries such as telecommunications, retail, hospitality and also in government. They include licensed plumbers, certified electricians, skilled mechanics, commercial fishers and trained chefs. They are husbands, wives, cousins, peers, seniors and young people trying to find their way in the world.

Some own cars or boats, some drive water trucks or ride electric bikes, and others are navigating life one bus schedule at a time. I see them in town with their families, at Cup Match with friends, and standing in line at the grocery store.

These 1,101 people make up the fabric of what it means to be Bermudian.

Homelessness is a tragic waste of human potential. Without stable housing, individuals face steep barriers to employment, education and training. Even those who manage to find work often struggle to perform at their best, as the daily hardships of homelessness inevitably drain energy and focus. The result is a loss not only for those directly affected but for Bermuda as a whole, which bears the economic and social costs.

At Home, we are reminded every day of the resilience and determination of the people we serve. Their courage inspires us as we support them on their journey towards stability and independence. Last year alone, Home worked with 306 clients and provided intensive case management to 47 individuals — each one a testament to the potential that emerges when people are given the opportunity to thrive.

And yet, despite these faces and stories, our development priorities tell a different story. We continue to build, but too often in ways that overlook the people most in need of a place to call home. The data may be limited, but we have enough to reveal a pattern. The supply does not meet the need, and the people who need housing the most are the ones the system seems to forget.

Investing in housing and social services to end homelessness is considerably less costly to the taxpayer than allowing it to persist. Measured in the cost of emergency healthcare, law enforcement, shelter operations and lost productivity, homelessness places a great financial burden on Bermuda.

Stable housing, coupled with services designed to meet each individual’s particular needs, reduce these costs, producing long-term social and economic returns. A study, published by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2022, found that for every dollar spent on housing-first programmes in the United States, there was an economic benefit of $1.80.

Additional to the economic impact is the restorative power that ending homelessness will have on individuals and our community.

At Home, we are fortunate to have the support of generous donors and volunteers from the corporate sector. They recognise that for their businesses to thrive, the most vulnerable among us must be supported first. Bermudians are the lifeblood of our economy, and our donors understand this. They also contribute significantly to our work and to many other non-profits, and for that we are deeply grateful.

The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors has been an active supporter also, collaborating with Home, and our many community partners, in our work on the Plan to End Homelessness. Policies to create greater availability of affordable housing — on a scale that addresses size of the problem — are critical to enabling the plan’s objectives to be realised.

In the midst of a housing crisis, the blame is often passed. Fingers are pointed at banks, at landlords and at developers. The reality is that our housing crisis is structural. It stems from outdated laws that have created scarcity, restrictive policies that discourage development, and a lack of urgency — perhaps because the issue has yet to disrupt international business directly.

We cannot afford to wait. We need better housing data, including a full registry of units, showing how many exist, how many are vacant or derelict, what size they are, and for how much they are being rented. Government-owned properties that sit empty could be placed on long-term leases to responsible developers who will restore them to productive use.

Bermuda cannot continue to build as if it has time. We must move with urgency, clarity and a focus on the people who are being left behind.

We cannot afford to become numb to the suffering of those around us, not when the solutions are within reach and have been set out substantively in the evidence-based and collaboratively developed Plan to End Homelessness.

We, as a community, have a choice: do we wish to continue to tolerate homelessness or not? The cost of inaction is too high, and the responsibility to act rests with all of us.

• Omar Dill is a case manager at Home and holds a degree in psychology and sociology