consider using vacant hotel properties as temporary low-cost housing.

Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen, who made the suggestion earlier this week, also suggested vacant hotels, like The Club Med and the Bermudiana or the dormitories attached to them, could be used to house homeless people.

But while insisting he welcomed any idea that would help people or families get adequate housing, Mr. Edness said: "I do not think that Mr. Allen's suggestion is a practical one that is worth pursuing.

"I do not feel that the renting of one of the floors of a major hotel, or the use of their dormitories, would assist at this time, if indeed it is possible to lease them.

"Several years ago, when housing was very scarce in Bermuda, the Housing Corporation investigated this possibility.

"The hotel owners were understandably reluctant to allow their facilities to be used for such purposes, when their main focus was to effect a sale of their properties.

"Further, it would in the end be only a very temporary housing solution for the families involved.'' Mr. Edness said there was an abundance of available housing stock on the market now.

"I do concur that the problem is one of affordability for some families who are affected by the recession. My suggestion to Mr. Allen is to direct such families to the Housing Corporation, where there are established programmes to deal with the affordability problem.

Mr. Edness said he could not, however, agree with housing the homeless in the hotel properties.

"Homelessness is both a social problem and a lack of shelter,'' he said. "If the problem is to be resolved, rehabilitation for such persons must be as much a priority as is the provision of shelter.'' The Homeless Committee, which works within the Ministry of Health, includes members of the Salvation Army, Works and Engineering, St. Brendan's Hospital and Social Services.

Mr. Edness said committee members have put together an infrastructure to deal with many facets of homelessness, including provision of shelters operated by Salvation Army; negotiating for the lease of an apartment building for the homeless; and searching for a building in or near Hamilton which can be used as a day care centre where the homeless can go for a midday meal, counselling and other advice that will "help them normalise their life style.''