Bermuda is facing a housing crisis. With soaring rental prices, limited land, high construction costs and a severe shortage of affordable housing, too many Bermudians are being left without safe and secure housing. The Chamber of Commerce estimates the island is short by 2,500 housing units. This need is even more urgent for our vulnerable and underserved populations.

At Habitat for Humanity Bermuda, we believe that access to safe, secure and affordable housing is not a privilege — it's a basic human right. For more than 25 years, we have been working to address this urgent need by restoring derelict homes and transforming them into safe, livable spaces for families in need, thereby maintaining affordable housing options in the island's inventory.

Why housing matters

A safe home is more than a roof and four walls. It’s the foundation for stability, health and dignity. Families living in unsafe or unstable housing often face increased stress, illness and financial insecurity. Children in overcrowded or unhealthy homes struggle to focus on their education. Seniors in unsuitable housing face risks to their personal safety and independence. By transforming unsafe housing into secure, affordable homes, Habitat helps to build stronger families and stronger communities.

Our impact

• In the past year, Habitat Bermuda helped 15 families — that’s nearly 75 people — move now living in into safe and secure housing

• Over the past 25 years, we have completed more than 400 derelict-home rehabilitation projects, positively affecting more than 1,600 Bermudians

• The majority of those we serve are single mothers with children, or seniors living at or below the poverty line

The outcomes are life-changing: families go from unsafe, unhealthy housing to secure and safe homes. Children are no longer in danger of displacement, seniors can remain in their homes with dignity, and families living in hardship can stay in their homes, thanks to our rehabilitation programmes.

Our partnerships

We know this work cannot be done alone. Habitat partners with local charities, government agencies and community groups to address the broader challenges linked to housing such as healthcare, mental health and family support.

Recently, the Bermuda Hospitals Board, the Anglican Church of Bermuda and Habitat for Humanity collaborated to transform the old St James’ Rectory into a community-based Residential Treatment Centre, marking a significant shift in mental healthcare from institutionalisation to recovery-focused, supported living.

Partnerships such as this ensure that our most vulnerable not only have a safe place to live, but also the resources and opportunities to rebuild their lives, achieve economic independence and participate fully as members of the community. Through community giving, Habitat’s Restore shop helps fund projects like this by turning sales of donated household items into support for community rebuilding.

Our vision

Our vision is an island where every Bermudian can live in an affordable and safe home. We imagine a Bermuda where no family are forced to choose between food, medication and rent. Where seniors can age in place with dignity, and where children can grow up in homes that are stable and secure. We imagine a Bermuda where communities thrive.

Bermuda’s housing crisis will not solve itself. It requires vision, government investment and community support. Habitat for Humanity Bermuda is ready to do the work — but we cannot do it without help from the community. Whether by volunteering, donating or simply raising awareness, everyone has a role to play.

Together we can build not just houses, but hope.

• Sandra Christensen is the executive director of Habitat for Humanity. For more information about the work of Habitat for Humanity or to volunteer your time, please visit www.habitat.bm. This op-ed is part of the Third Sector Spotlight Series, a collective campaign co-ordinated by the Non-Profit Alliance of Bermuda. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the value, impact and contributions of Bermuda’s non-profit sector