Plan to end homelessness unveiled in Parliament
A strategy that comprises evidence-based solutions and global best practices to end homelessness in Bermuda was tabled in the House of Assembly today.
Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, said the Plan to End Homelessness was compiled over the past two-and-a-half years with insight from 400 Bermudians affected by housing insecurity.
It will be evaluated during its implementation and taken to the Government for consideration, she added.
The framework — which was co-sponsored by the charity Home — includes data, priorities and an National Homelessness Action Plan to end the social issue.
It found: “Homelessness is not inevitable. It can be ended”.
The plan’s vision is a permanent end to homelessness.
Ms Furbert told MPs: “This means that everyone has a safe, stable and sustainable place to live and that, wherever possible, new cases of homelessness are prevented.”
She said the document represented “a significant milestone” in the Government’s commitment to addressing homelessness on the island in a co-ordinated, unified, evidence-based and humane manner.
The House heard: “Recognising that no model will eliminate the risk of homelessness, should homelessness occur, systems are in place to ensure that it is rare, brief and non recurrent.
“Please be aware that homelessness is not only a housing plan but also a step towards reconnection, as homelessness for some is seen as a form of escape, freedom or can be due to complex personal circumstances.”
MPs heard that the plan was compiled with hundreds of hours of collaborative input from community experts and partners.
It includes evidence-based research into solutions from more than 40 countries and three rounds of extensive community consultations, as well as the work of a multi-sector steering committee.
Structured engagement programmes included participation from the public, such as town hall meetings and the Government’s Bermuda Citizens Forum.
A Homelessness Advisory Panel — made up of representatives from the public, private and non-profit sectors — was set up with a mandate to strengthen and refine that work.
Ms Furbert said the plan was framed around seven core areas of action, including the rapid reduction of rough sleeping, improved data and monitoring, expanded access to affordable housing, co-ordinated service delivery, public policy reform and public awareness.
“These priorities reflect a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring,” she added.
The plan includes “point in time” data from December 31 last year, which was compiled using administrative information gathered through Home.
The Plan to End Homelessness being taken to legislature is a transformative step because it underscores the movement of homelessness from being a peripheral social concern to a matter of public policy, the chief executive of the charity Home said.
Denise Carey added that it meant accountability and a long-term commitment across government agencies is far more secure.
She said: “The plan provides a clear approach where all agencies execute against a single set of co-ordinated activities each carefully orchestrated to achieve the end goal.
“A single plan has been a strategic priority of Home since inception in 2021 and to bind this plan with the support of all necessary government and non-government agencies and community partners is both unprecedented and necessary.
“It also aligns with the whole system response necessary to support people with complex needs.
“We are grateful to the minister for her leadership and for the hundreds of people who have contributed.”
Ms Carey highlighted the “vital role” stakeholders played in the creation of the plan, especially those with the lived experience of homelessness who shaped solutions, which she said are realistic and humane.
Home continues to systematically act to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and its actions are explicitly aligned with those of the Plan to End Homelessness, she added.
There were then 1,331 people who were affected by homelessness in Bermuda, an increase from 1,101 recorded at the end of 2024 and 811 at the end of 2023.
The latest statistics showed that 170 people in Bermuda were living rough, 99 were staying in a night shelter, while 217 were in accommodation for the homeless and 33 were in a women’s shelter.
The figures also recorded 24 people in accommodation for immigrants and 113 who were due to be released from institutions with no housing in place.
A further 188 people were living in insecure accommodation, 130 were under threat of eviction and 15 were under threat of violence.
The data also showed that 89 people were living in temporary or non-conventional structures.
The blueprint is presented as an “unprecedented endeavour” to bring an entire system and community together to solve a significant social and economic problem.
It was informed by experts, data, best practices, lived experiences, academic research and the community at large, and is a multiyear programme of change with commitment from the Government, non-government agencies and wider community partners.
A call to action was made for all agencies to play their part.
Cross-ministry as well as cross-department collaboration and funding were cited as vital for the success of the plan.
It said it “is imperative” that government ministers lean into delivering an end to homelessness in Bermuda.
The plan stated that homelessness is rarely a matter of choice since almost all people experiencing homelessness do so owing to a complex interplay of factors beyond their control.
These include poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental health issues, substance abuse and traumatic life events.
The plan said that ending homelessness is a public policy choice that has now been made.
It noted that rough sleepers are extremely vulnerable and urgent funding is required to establish low barrier housing, which reduces or removes obstacles that can typically prevent people from accessing homes.
Ms Furbert said: “This data relates to specific individuals and is not statistically extrapolated and the plan notes it is likely to understate overall prevalence.”
Ms Furbert said that the 2025-28 National Homelessness Action Plan “translates vision into action”.
She added: “It will establish the Government’s clear priorities and provide a structured, phased framework to guide implementation, while optimising the use of existing programmes and resources.
“The action plan is underpinned by prevention-first, trauma-informed, person-centred and rights-based principles.
“It emphasises collaboration across ministries and agencies, meaningful inclusion of persons with lived experience and the use of reliable data to guide decision-making and measure progress.”
• To see the minister’s statement in full, see Related Data
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