A five-year-old promise to build a new homeless shelter needs to be fulfilled by the Government, UBP MP Charlie Swan said last night.

His statement comes after Major Doug Lewis of the Salvation Army estimated that between 250 and 300 people on the Island are homeless, and that the shelter has to turn away people every night.

Yesterday Mr. Swan, the Shadow Minister of Housing, said: "This Government must move with speed to meet the needs of the growing numbers of displaced Bermudians. This should include any funding support to bolster the operations of the Salvation Army Shelter operations.

"In addition, we expect the Government to get off its butt to fulfil its commitment — now five years old and counting — to build a shelter for 200 people."

According to the Salvation Army, the organisation's largest shelter on the Island, located on Marsh Lane, can house 55 people a night, 15 women and 40 men. Mr. Swan said the buildings, which have already outlived their 10 to 12 year intended lifespan, are in a state of disrepair.

"My colleague Louise Jackson toured the site and found holes in the plywood walls, chunks of roof caving in, pipes hanging off walls, wooden floors rotting and up to eight people sharing a room," he said. "The existing building is a wreck. Clearly the shelter was overused and taxed beyond it's capabilities."

In 2005, Major Lindsay Rowe of the Salvation Army called the building a national disgrace and said that the building should be condemned.

In that year's Throne speech, Premier Alex Scott pledged to start work on a night shelter that could bed 200 people. The cost of the proposed shelter was estimated to be $28 million, with funding for the work mentioned in the 2006/07 budget.

Last July, Dale Butler announced a proposed redevelopment of the North Street Shelter, which would nearly double the shelter's capacity.

In September, Mr. Butler told The Royal Gazette: "I told Government that we really needed to build a new shelter, as this is overdue by 20 years. The Ministry of Works and Engineering jumped on board and (Minister) Burgess got us some local architects and also some from Canada.

"The Ministry was also determined to get things done, and prior to the economic downturn, it looked like we would get the $14 million we needed.

"In the end, we only got $1 million, but this will help the ground work."

On Tuesday, Mr. Lewis told the Hamilton Rotary Club that he had seen a 20 percent increase in families requiring assistance from the shelters since 2006, but the biggest increase has been among young men.

Because of the increase, Mr. Swan said that the issue needed to be treated "as a matter of urgency."

"It is incumbent on any right-thinking government to protect the citizens most in need, and the lack of facilities to meet the needs of the growing numbers of homeless must be addressed."

When contacted about the Mr. Swan's statement, Minister of Social Rehabilitation Neletha Butterfield said that Government had met with Salvation Army stakeholders last week, and the two parties are currently involved in discussions.