The plight of Clarence Hill is a national scandal, not only for the shameful treatment of the island’s first Olympic medal-winner, but also because it throws light on a much wider problem.

The first scandal is the more obvious one. Mr Hill, who won a bronze medal in 1976 and was for more than 40 years the island’s only medal-winner, is homeless. That this has been allowed to happen is shocking.

That his plight has been highlighted via a video on social media showing him shirtless and rooting around for his belongings is a national shame.

What makes it worse is the response of the Bermuda Housing Corporation, whose explanation tries to justify what was in the end, an eviction that left a 74-year-old sporting hero homeless. The BHC is supposed to house people in need, not put them on the streets.

Amazingly, the BHC said it worked with Mr Hill to “support his transition”, apparently to the streets, after it became clear his previous accommodation was not suitable given his condition.

Several questions arise from this. One is whether, given his dementia diagnosis, he could sign an agreement to give up his lease, and second, what on earth the BHC thought it was doing, forcing him out of his home when he had nowhere to go.

Mr Hill must get the help he needs now. This is what government and private social agencies are there to do. Clearly, he has early onset Alzheimer’s and a heart condition. It is also clear he cannot care for himself and needs assistance.

That help should not come from a GoFundMe page, and it is a scandal that in a country as wealthy as Bermuda, the only solution seems to be to get Mr Hill to Britain where he can receive income and support from its welfare system.

Surely the Government and others will be shamed into action, and Mr Hill will indeed get the help that he needs.

The other level on which this is a national scandal is that it is very unlikely that Mr Hill is alone in his plight. You need only walk through Hamilton to see the soaring numbers of the homeless to appreciate the truth of this.

According to the charity Home, Bermuda has more than 1,300 people in need of housing. Those you see on the streets are the visible part of a metaphorical iceberg. Beneath the surface, there are hundreds more — living in shelters, the trees, cars, derelict buildings and in unsafe or inadequate accommodation.

The charity said in its 2024 annual report that the number of homeless soared from 800 to 1,100 between 2023 and 2024. A further 200 people were registered with the Bermuda Housing Corporation as seeking a home.

In fairness, this may include people who are newly identified by better data collection. Nonetheless, the numbers are shocking.

They equate to 2 per cent of the island’s population of about 65,000. While methods of measuring homelessness vary from country to country, the average for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is 0.25 per cent, so Bermuda’s rate is eight times higher than the average developed country.

For one of the wealthiest nations in the world, this is a travesty. Numbers tell only part of the story.

The video of Mr Hill tells the human cost.

Action is needed now, not only for Mr Hill, but for the 1,300 other people in need of one of the basic requirements for dignified life — shelter.