HOMELESSNESS among young Bermudians is spreading at an alarming rate, according to Salvation Army Divisional Emergency Services co-ordinator Lionel Cann.

Mr. Cann, 60, has been a "passionate" member of the charitable organisation for more than four decades and manager of the Salvation Army Emergency Housing Complex for the past two and a half years.

The Emergency Housing Complex at present accommodates 60 residents (13 women and 47 men) and has a maximum capacity to house 65 individuals inside four separate units.

This month alone, a total of four new residents were admitted into the Marsh Folly Road complex and all persons in need of emergency housing and who have met the necessary requirements to be housed must, by law, be over the age of 18.

"Since I've started I've noticed the homeless population getting younger and younger. The older ones are still there but a lot of the younger ones are showing up as well, and that's increasing," he said.

"The dynamics of what's out there are changing and it makes me wonder about the whole social fabric of our society and where it is going. I refuse to go into the blame thing because it's pointless and doesn't get us anywhere. But the reality is that there are more and more people out there who are homeless."

Mr. Cann describes homelessness as a "community" problem and a serious issue that will require a "combined" effort on the part of the community to help combat.

He said: "This is a community problem and unless the community gets involved and helps the homeless, then we're always going to have homelessness.

The interesting thing is that it's easy to say it's money, but money isn't always the answer. I have a passion for the homeless and I think more can be done and that's why I get volunteers from all walks of life to get involved."

Often in Bermuda, people tended to ignore individuals who had become homeless and the fact that they too were "human", Mr. Cann said.

"It's almost as if these people are invisible. You may think of them but do you really see them? We see a homeless individual who is being a nuisance to somebody, but do we really see them as people, as individuals that have a soul to save?" he asked.

"That's somebody's son, somebody's daughter, father or mother but we just throw them out into the garbage heap as if they have no value," he continued. "So that's my passion and that's why I do this because they are people.

"And we need to start caring about them and really do something about homelessness in Bermuda and stop seeing them as economic pieces in our whole economy. They are people and they shouldn't be treated as an economic commodity."

The Salvation Army also reaches out to those beyond the protected confines of the Emergency Housing Complex to help others in dire need of assistance in the streets. Twice weekly, the organisation embarks on a soup run to help feed some of the island's homeless and to hand hand out essential items such as blankets to keep them warm over the winter months.

At present, Mr. Cann comes to the aid of between 30 to 40 homeless individuals within the Hamilton area alone. "Some are pretty fixed and I can find them because I know where they are and who they are but generally I meet them in the same spot every time I go," he said.

"There are certain spots that I go to where I know some of them are. I am doing two nights per week at the moment but usually in the summer months I do it three times a week. But once we get over the Christmas period we will do it three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and we have teams of volunteers who will go out."

Another trend he has noticed over the past two years is a significant increase among those seeking refuge at the complex during the cooler winter months.

"It's just the way it is. They go far away in other places to stay during the warmer months like the beach because we do have rules here and restrictions like they aren't permitted to lie in for the day," Mr. Cann explained.

"But during the Christmas period we try to be a bit more lenient and allow them to stay in a bit longer because normally they have to be off the property by 8 a.m. and back by 5 p.m."

He added: "We've taken in at least four individuals this Christmas because it's cold out there and they want to get in out of the weather and we've accommodated them, if you like, as a Christmas treat.

"They are people who frequent the place and so we decided to pull them in so that they can be a part of it and have a decent Christmas. They are street people and people who are familiar with living rough and we just wanted to do something different for them.

"They may disappear after Christmas or when the weather gets warmer but I think we've done our part to at least bring some cheer and comfort to them."

A dedicated group of volunteer staff and other organisations is also on hand at the shelter to ensure a bit of Christmas cheer is spread among the residents.

"We try to make it as warm and friendly as possible, especially at Christmas-time," said Mr. Cann.

"We have other organisations drop by and speak with them and share the good news with them and I always try to encourage them to make contact with their families and try to get them into a relationship that takes them over that period, and sometimes that helps.

"We send them to other organisations to get fed and to fellowship with other people, which I think is a good thing for them. And basically that's what we try to achieve," he said.

"So it's not really a sad place (at Christmas-time), although some residents may miss their families. But some of them have been homeless for so long they no longer have that sort of emotion like you and I may have."