The Bermuda Housing Trust and the Rent Commissioner have quite simply ?got it wrong?, according to Opposition MP John Barritt.

Mr. Barritt, the area MP for residents of Purvis Park, one of the BHT properties, responded yesterday to a speech given by BHT chairman Ronald Simmons at a Rotary luncheon on Tuesday, saying he was ?astounded? to hear the BHT had used ?sensitivity? to increase rents ? in some cases by more than double the previous rents ? at BHT properties.

?Sensitivity? From whose perspective?? the disbelieving Mr. Barritt, who is currently off the Island, asked yesterday. ?Certainly not from the perspective of the seniors.?

On Tuesday, Mr. Simmons also said that while the BHT is not legally required to disclose its financial statements, they would be disclosed to those ?interested in assisting the Board with carrying out its mandate?.

That, Mr. Barritt said yesterday, was not good enough.

Accusing the BHT of ?hiding? behind a legal technicality, he said that ? particularly in view of the fact that the BHT relies on the public for donations ? the financial statements should be made public.

In the late 1990s, from the most recent financial statements Mr. Barritt has seen, the BHT appeared to have ?a couple of million? dollars in assets.

To go from that to losing some $34,000 per year means ?something went wrong?, he said. ?How did that happen??

Despite his efforts both privately and on the floor of the House of Assembly, Mr. Barritt, who has volunteered to represent seniors living in the BHT properties as they take the case to court, said he has been unable to see any financial statements more recent than 1997 and 1998.