Troublesome behaviour created by youngsters and youths can be addressed if they are taught about their heritage and given an understanding of how they fit in with their peers, adults and seniors, a forum has heard.

And an answer to the the plight of young Bermudians who see little prospect of ever owning their own home on the Island is something being worked up by Housing and Works and Engineering Minister David Burch.

During a meeting that looked at the issues of housing, seniors and youths, three separate panellists spoke on the problems and some possible remedies.

A constituency meeting for the Progressive Labour Party held in the Devonshire Recreation Club also heard of worrying cases where seniors have become victims of so-called ?elder abuse? by giving away the power of attorney for their homes and assets to family or others who have then taken advantage for personal financial gain.

Sen. Burch and Finance Minister Paula Cox were joined by Dr. Melvin Dickinson, director of the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged, and para-teacher Kamal Worrall as speakers at the small constituency 14 gathering on Thursday evening.

Focusing on housing, Sen. Burch said the Government had a housing strategy and one solution being worked up was to build and sell housing at the market price and use the revenue to feed back into projects for affordable housing.

This would bring relief on a number of fronts he explained, with young professional Bermudian couples able to buy into the housing market thereby freeing up much needed rental accommodation for others and revenue from the sale of the Government-built houses going to fund affordable housing projects.

?It is my singular mission in life and until I see (house building) courses going up in a variety of places I?m not going to be happy,? said Sen. Burch.

Dr. Melvin Dickinson, of the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged, presented a list of achievements the Government office has made during the past year, such as dealing with 11,908 ?communications from seniors? and more than 600 individual cases, and signing a memorandum of understanding with Age Concern Bermuda to avoid duplication of services or conflicts.

But the mis-use of the power of attorney when it pertains to seniors and their assets, such as their homes, is an issue of concern for his office and one that is being investigated, he said.

?Many of our seniors are property-rich but cash-poor. We are going to investigate the role of power of attorney. Seniors are losing their homes because they have given this power of attorney to someone who should not have that right,? explained Dr. Dickinson.

?We are aware of power of attorneys going bad. And we are trying to define all the different forms of abuse that take place against seniors,? he said, referring to future ?elder abuse? legislation.

How tomorrow?s generation is brought up was the concern of the youngest member of the panel, para-teacher Kamal Worrall.

Still in his 20s, he listed some of the youth issues that he felt needed to be addressed, mentioning education, youth violence, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse.

Claiming education is the key to solving problems of youth, Mr. Worrall said: ?We must all play a part in the education of our children.?

He questioned how far the Island?s education system has evolved from ?institutions of colonial control? and ?how much have we moved away from our people being corralled to take orders, opinions and suggestions from others??

In a question and answer session Mr. Worrall spoke of the difference he had seen in children who had been given enlightenment about their own history and their people?s history ? and how this led to more respect of their elders and others.

Members of the audience shared anecdotes of direct interaction when seniors and adults visited schools and spoke directly to young people fostering understanding and respect.

A teacher from Dellwood Middle School said she had witnessed the impact of adults coming into a school and speaking to children and she encouraged others to do the same and help create bonds of understanding across the generation gaps.

Finance Minister Paula Cox, who hosted the constituency meeting, said it had been a ?conversation for change? and it was a conversation that would be continued each month.