TWO Opposition politicians have knocked on every door of the condemned Canadian Hotel over the past three weeks in order to try to help residents find new homes.

Shadow Cultural Affairs Minister Gina Spence-Farmer and Shadow Works & Engineering Minister Jon Brunson have managed to register some 80 per cent of the 56 residents with the Bermuda Housing Corporation, to be put on the waiting list for housing.

The former hotel (pictured top right) is a rooming house that has failed to meet safety regulations and is due to close down next week.

Some of the residents have secured alternative accommodation, but for most, the future is uncertain, although Bermuda Regiment's Warwick Camp has been cited as a possible temporary home.

Two weeks ago, the two politicians appeared at a press conference with their political counterpart, Housing Minister David Burch, in what was hailed as a case of the two main political parties working together.

Apart from one visit to the Canadian Hotel, Ms Spence-Farmer said Sen. Burch had since then been conspicuous by his absence and her repeated efforts to contact the Minister on issues related to individual residents had not been answered.

"We got a plan from the building's owner, Ted Powell, so we knew who lived where," Sen. Spence-Farmer said. "We then got the forms from the BHC and went door to door to ensure that whoever wanted to be was put on the housing list.

"One of the challenges was that some people could not read or write and did not know what was required. We saw every single resident and 80 per cent signed up. Some chose not to, because they did not have confidence in the system."

The four-page application form asked for details that were not relevant in the case of many of the residents, Sen. Spence-Farmer said, and she felt the system needed to adapt to better meet the needs of such people.

Sen. Spence-Farmer and Mr. Brunson also helped some of the residents to start packing their belongings and found some helpers who were offering vans or cars to help with the residents' imminent moves.

"The community has come forward with help," Sen. Spence-Farmer said. "It seems that the only people not coming to the table are the Government."

She explained that she was unaware of any official from the BHC or from Financial Assistance having visited the doomed hotel, despite the prospect of imminent homelessness for many of the residents. And Minister Burch had failed to answer e-mails and calls from herself and Mr. Brunson, she added.

"Col. Burch came here once but he did not say any more than he did at the press conference," Sen. Spence-Farmer said. "Even if he is away on official business, then he should have assigned someone to deal with this situation.

"The same spirit of coming together that we expect from the community, the Government is not willing to do. They are just prepared to leave people helpless and homeless.

"It's sad. This could have been an example of the two parties working together for the good of the community."

Minister Burch has stated that he will not answer questions from this newspaper. Therefore we are unable to give his side of the story.

Shadow Housing Minister Kim Swan said: "When the election comes around the Progressive Labour Party help the working man to register and give them a lift to the polls.

"But it seems that they are not willing to help them again until it's time for them to get re-elected.

"The Canadian Hotel is a classic example of a problem they promised to deal with four years ago and have not done so."

Sen. Spence-Farmer said one resident had a particular problem with welfare payments.

"You can only be eligible for Financial Assistance if you have a physical address and when the hotel closes he won't have one, she said.

"He's very worried because this assistance covers his food and medication as well as his housing."

Another man had noticed on the Government web site how foreign recruits for the civil service are being offered partially paid-for accommodation.

"If they're doing that for foreign workers, why can't they do something for these Bermudians?" added Sen. Spence-Farmer.

She added that helping the residents had been a rewarding experience.

"The amazing thing is that these people are so appreciative, just for you being there and trying to understand their situation on a personal level," she said. "That means more to them than most people could ever imagine."