Government tenants yesterday lashed out at a plan to increase Bermuda Housing Corporation rents.

And one angry tenant accused the Housing Corporation of "going back on its word''.

The tenants -- mainly from the Fentons Drive, Pembroke area -- were responding to Housing Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness' disclosure, last week, that tenants would face across-the-board rent increases.

The rent hikes -- to be phased in from August 1 over the next three years -- came in the wake of a widespread review of BHC properties, Mr. Edness told the House of Assembly.

After the review, it had been decided BHC rents would be set at market levels, rather than annual rental values.

"The results of the assessment indicated that the total annual rents being charged to tenants of the 315 Bermuda Housing Corporation-owned rental units were some $1.3 million less the total of the market rents of the properties.'' Mr. Edness said information obtained from a comprehensive survey of all BHC tenants also showed that there were "at least 59 tenants who are actually receiving rent subsidies that they no longer need''.

But one Fentons Drive tenant told The Royal Gazette Government's plan would defeat the purpose of public housing.

"The prefabs were built because people could not afford market level (rental prices),'' he said.

"Before (this) the Bermuda Housing Corporation was the outlet for those who could not afford private rents.'' He also claimed that Government was forcing tenants who refused to buy the homes to move.

This, he noted, was being done despite a promise by the BHC about 10 years ago that tenants who did not wish to buy the homes would not be forced to move.

He also produced a letter from BHC general manager in 1986 Mr. Les H. Cock, stating that it was "not the Corporation's intention to bring any pressure'' on tenants to purchase the low-cost housing.

"In the event that you decide not to buy, you will not be moved out of your home,'' Mr. Cock wrote.

And in a separate letter to the tenant, then general manager Mr. Robert Clifford stated: "If you do not wish to buy we want to emphasise that you can continue to be a tenant.'' "They told tenants that they will not have to move, now 10 years later they drop a bombshell,'' the frustrated tenant said.

"I think it is sad and dishonest to tell the people they have to move and some of them are good tenants.'' Another tenant from the Fentons Drive area -- where there are about 30 Government housing units -- said constant maintenance required by the homes made of prefabricated materials scared many people from buying them.

"Everything was built cheaper than houses in the private sector,'' the tenant said. And he suggested that a petition be circulated to show renters' discontent.

Tenants are expected to meet with Mr. Edness and housing officials tonight.

But when contacted yesterday, the head of Fentons Drive's tenants committee Mrs. Shirlene Hayward declined to comment on the issue, explaining that she did not want to jeopardise talks with housing officials.

And Mr. Edness said he knew nothing about the meeting and had already made plans to attend an Independence meeting in Warwick tonight.

However, he said he would welcome a meeting with any of the tenants.

"It is not my intention to displace someone that is suffering hardship,'' Mr.

Edness said. "But at the same time I have to strike a balance to be fair to the taxpayers.'' However, he added, that those tenants who could not afford the increased rents would either have their rent increase rate adjusted to meet their needs and/or they would receive rental assistance.

He said the BHC was also willing to help tenants who were living in Government units up for sale to find another Government rental accommodation.

But he admitted that he needed to look into the matter further.