Opposition House Leader John Barritt yesterday called on Government to be candid over the reasons for the recent rent increases imposed on houses belonging to the Bermuda Housing Trust.

Mr. Barritt also asked for the details of the tendering process for the 18 new properties planned for Ferguson Park in St. David?s to be revealed.

Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent last year backed the increases to the 82 separate Trust units ? which are very popular with Bermuda?s seniors ? citing increased maintenance costs and the fact that there had been no rent adjustment since 1997.

Mr. DeVent argued that the BHT, which operates independently from Government under a board of trustees, had been incurring heavy losses for a number of years because of the cost of maintenance and repairs, while suggesting that well over a quarter of the seniors in those properties could afford the additional rent.

But speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr. DeVent stressed he was not at liberty to divulge any information about the BHT without the consent of the trustees, many of whom are adamant the details of their affairs are not for public consumption.

?The Bermuda Housing Trust is set up separate from Government,? Mr. DeVent said.

?Mr. Barritt?s demands are an unprecedented line of questioning in my opinion and are part of the Opposition?s continuing attempts at a political witchhunt on the issue of housing. I am aware that the trustees have taken offence to these political infringements. It must also be noted that rents at the BHC have not been raised since 1997 and despite the increase, continue to be available at well below the market value.?

However, while noting that charitable donations to the BHT have ?dwindled? since 1998, Mr. DeVent said he ?would imagine? that people who have made contributions would be entitled to the information. Meanwhile, Mr. Barritt continued to insist that the BHT is a public trust established under a Government statute and it was therefore incumbent on the trustees to conduct their business in full view of the public.

?What the Minister overlooks is that he is the person under the statute who appoints the board of trustees and they are therefore accountable to him. Here we have a board which has dramatically increased the rent of their properties ? only to turn around and not give a detailed explanation for those increases with facts...I am not playing politics. I have a number of those properties in my constituency [Devonshire South Central and a number of my constituents have asked me to extract an explanation.

?If they are not going to share the information with the general public,? he continued, ? they should at least share the information with the seniors in those houses so they can understand why their rents have been increased.?