enough to ease the current crisis, a local housing group spokeswoman said yesterday.

The National Tenants and Future Homeowners Association (NTFHA) was formed earlier this year to address the needs of "rent burdened'' Bermudians.

And according to secretary Coreen Tucker, the excessive amount of money Bermudians pay for rent is affecting the overall quality of life Island-wide.

"Government needs to know that this housing crisis is not just about the poor and irresponsible,'' said Ms Tucker.

"There are many people who are educated, making money, and still feel they can't afford to live in their own country.

"We are conditioned to work two and three jobs just to pay the rent ... and it's stressful for us and detrimental to our children,'' she added.

NTFHA evolved out of the Government Housing Tenants Council, an organisation which grabbed public attention when they marched on Parliament last February demanding lower rents and better living conditions.

Members of the Council felt many housing problems affected more than just tenants of Government housing, and NTFHA was organised to make changes in the private sector.

Ms Tucker explained that NTFHA was focused on educating tenants about their rights, pressuring Government for changes in housing policy, and demanding changes from lending institutions so Bermudians can afford to purchase their own homes.

She said although many local tenants complain about unsatisfactory living arrangements, most are unaware of their legal rights.

"The rental agreement they sell in stores for landlords to use is not worth the paper it's printed on,'' said Ms Tucker.

And she encouraged tenants to have an agreement drawn up which outlines details about their landlord's responsibility.

However, she noted that would-be tenants who insist upon asserting their legal rights are often left out in the cold if the landlord decides to rent to a less demanding tenant.

But Ms Tucker said local housing woes are not limited to tenants at the mercy of their landlords.

She said the problem of finding affordable housing in Bermuda is especially acute for Bermudians seeking to buy their own piece of the Rock.

Ms Tucker explained that the banks wanted at least 25 percent of the cost of the property up front.

"This means that for you to be able to afford to purchase a $400,000 house, you've got to hand over at least $100,000 on the spot and then be able to shoulder $3,000 payments every month,'' she noted.

"They don't want to look at Bermudians as future homeowners ... they would like to give this country away to foreigners who can afford it,'' added Ms Tucker. But Ms Tucker noted that although the finger was often pointed at foreign workers who paid higher rents, they were not the root cause of the problem.

"Foreign workers are complaining just like locals that rent is too high ...

many who are single are okay, but if they had families, they wouldn't be able to do it.

"But we're now hearing about exempt companies buying their own places so their employees don't have to pay these exorbitant rents,'' said Ms Tucker.

"Landlords across the board have to be aware of their responsibility to quality of life in Bermuda.

"They're asking ridiculous rents because they know they can -- and their mentor Government is doing the same thing.'' Landlords, tenants, or future homeowners who wish to offer assistance or need help should call Coreen Tucker on 295-0750.