A Pembroke woman is appealing for housing as she and her family - including her pregnant teenage daughter - face eviction today from a Government apartment.

But Housing Minister Senator David Burch said Tina Simons had racked up $11,000 arrears in just over two years while living in the $890-a-month one-bed apartment on Angle Street.

The eviction comes as Government gets tough on bad tenants.

In December, Sen. Burch said the Bermuda Housing (BHC) would take a hard line to get tenants to accept responsibility and stop treating the Corporation as a "candy store".

He promised the BHC would not hesitate to publicly discuss cases if tenants ran to the media and put out "skewed stories of their circumstances".

Ms Simons said she got into arrears because her work in the house keeping department at the Fairmont Southampton Princess dried up in the winter season.

She said: "Every year the season goes slow. My daughter is expecting any day now. We don't have anywhere to go. I am pleading for help."

She said her work dried up between October and April and while she did odd jobs, there still wasn't money to pay for rent.

Sen. Burch said: "That argument would work if she didn't have $11,000 of arrears in two years. She's been in arrears since September 2000."

Ms Simons said she only received $50 child maintenance a week for her 14-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son and that didn't come every week.

She claims that Governement was unwilling to help because of the eviction, and now is threatening to take her children into care.

She said: "I am asking to get the chance to work with them so I can manage my money to make sure the children have a roof over their heads. I have family but their houses are full."

Ms Simons admitted the Corporation had offered to put her on a weekly rent but she said she didn't have any money to give.

But Sen. Burch said social assistance couldn't help because Ms Simons was unwilling to give details about her financial circumstances.

He said: "A certain amount of dignity is surrendered. You can't just say `I am not going to tell you what I have.' You have to be forthcoming with the information if you are applying for help."

He said financial assistance were not going to fork out money without feeling reasonably confident it was a genuine hardship case.

He said Ms Simons and her family were not being thrown out on to the street by Government but had been offered accommodation at rooming houses for mothers and children in Southside.

"She turned it down because it has a communal bathroom and kitchen," said Sen. Burch.

"This is what happens to people who don't want to pay rent. It isn't a typical Bermudian way of living, but most Bermudians pay their way. This allows her to reduce her arrears and save a little money."

He said if this was done Ms Simons would be eligible for an apartment again.

"But we can't allow arrears to continue to rise but that's exactly what is happening."