It's been one wake-up call after another for Bermuda in the past few months but, according to activist Gina Spence-Farmer, the message is still not getting through.

With homelessness on the rise and increasing overcrowding among those that can afford a place to live — not to mention the more headline-grabbing problem of gang violence — Mrs. Spence-Farmer yesterday said it's time to put the truth on the table.

"We have not been 100 percent honest about where we are," she told The Royal Gazette.

"In other countries people would see that this stuff is unprecedented. We have to do something drastically different."

Asking why large sections of the population turn a blind eye to issues like homelessness, she continued: "Maybe these people are considered write-offs. But that's somebody's son, and that's somebody's father.

"It does merit the kind of attention, compassion, understanding and spirit that should be given to any human life. When does the value of human life stop becoming important?

"We have forgotten we need to listen to our family and have a real honest chat. If we can do that as a community, I always believe there's hope."

The former United Bermuda Party Senator said politicians could help people come to terms with reality by publicly acknowledging how their own loved ones have got into trouble, something the late Nelson Bascome won much respect for doing.

Mrs. Spence-Farmer, who grew up in 42nd Street and now lives in Friswell's Hill, questioned how an Island so rich could contain pockets of such levels of poverty.

She said: "It's sad to see the state of our community, the lack of resources in terms of affordable housing.

"All those little things that when you live in a particular area become astronomical. You see how close the houses are, the amount of people that live in the house. You see the state of the houses.

"Bermuda has so much more than that. Like a cancer patient who is given a diagnosis, they can give up and die or they can start the process of fighting to live."

She says the Salvation Army Shelter is falling apart while Government says it can't find cash to fund it, yet money was suddenly made available to bring Beyonce to the Island.

And during her days in the Upper House, she challenged fellow Senators to live in a struggling household for a month — forgoing their wage and Senate salary — so they could see how tough it can be for some families.

"Then I could ask them to look at the reasons why we shouldn't be working harder to find the resources for these people," she said.

She also believes churches could do more.

"I believe in prayer and I believe the church has a role to play, but if you are not doing something, you are not going to make any difference," she said.

"Let's see the churches help more. Here you have an entity that has an infrastructure of 200 or 300 members who between them have everything the community needs: teachers, doctors, lawyers. They can all help."