The community is being asked to stand behind cash-strapped seniors in their fight against planned rent increases at a number of seniors? residences.

A march on Parliament is being organised for next week to protest the rent increases, Beverly Butterfield said yesterday.

Mrs. Butterfield is taking up the seniors? cause on behalf of her mother.

?The talking has got to stop,? she said. ?It is time to show them we are serious. In 12 years, I will be a senior citizen.?

She said she can no longer tolerate the way she sees her mother being treated and she hopes people will join her in voicing outrage by showing up at Parliament next Friday at 9.30 a.m.

?I am telling all the people I know because I want as many as possible (to be there),? Mrs. Butterfield said.

Last month the Bermuda Housing Trust said it will be increasing rents at four seniors residences ? in some cases rents will double.

Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent has defended BHT?s decision, saying that at least one quarter of the seniors can afford the proposed increases.

The BHT properties have an average rent of $400 but ?it costs $305 a month per unit just for maintenance and upkeep of the grounds,? Mr. DeVent said.

?Everyone directly objects to the rent increase,? Mrs. Butterfield said.

?The world has come to an end when you start targeting senior citizens.?

UBP MP Louise Jackson has agreed to support the march and is urging all seniors to march together.

?What else can we do?? Mrs. Jackson asked. ?Mrs. Butterfield is a very, very concerned daughter. Her mother is distraught because she has been asked to pay an increase in rent that is more than her pension.?

She added: ?Some of these seniors are being stripped of their dignity. Some are giving up on life.

?There was a meeting with BHT where the seniors were told, ?You ladies go into town and buy a new dress, so you can afford the rent increase?.

?But some of these ladies have not bought a new dress in years. When Roderick Ferguson started the BHT, he never envisioned that this would happen.?

She said the BHT should hold bazaars, fairs and charitable events when it needs extra money.

In the past seniors had ?very modest rent increases of $25 to $30,? she said. ?But now for this Government to pick on the oldest and poorest members of the community and put them in such an untenable position is just wrong.

?Talking about a maintenance fee of $350 per unit per month is insane.?

?Could you afford it if your rent was nearly doubled? Then why go in there and do that to these people. Surely there is another way.?