A charity for the island’s homeless has big plans to help more people in the new year.

Formed in September 2021, Home works to end homelessness on the island.

An organisation spokeswoman said: “Since its founding, Home has worked closely with the Bermuda Government, non-governmental agencies, charities, philanthropies, and the religious and wider local community, promoting inter-agency cooperation and coordination among all the island’s services to tackle homelessness.”

Jean-Ann Hayward, the charity’s head of operations, said Home wants to connect with as many homeless people as possible and to enrol them in its eight-week programme.

Participants receive three meals a day, a free doctor’s exam and help with finding jobs to enable them to move into permanent housing at the end of the programme.

Ms Hayward said: “We put all of those things in place and our case managers work to reconnect [clients] with family or help them get financial assistance if they need it to go onto their new living arrangements.”

Home’s chairman Arthur Wightman said the clients are working to make better lives for themselves and can find their place in society with the right support.

The organisation currently has three case managers, but would hire many more if it had more funding.

Ms Hayward said: “We have identified over 500 homeless people, so if we could have a case manager to assist with everybody, then we would. Right now, we are at our limit.”

The charity’s Union Street headquarters can hold up to eight people.

Its first facility, Messina House on Boaz Island, housed 24 people, but faced some opposition from area residents and is closing.

Ms Hayward said: “We decided that, because it is an older building, the overhead was getting to be a bit too much for us to maintain.”

If clients are unable to find housing after completing the eight-week programme, they can temporarily move into Home’s 14-bed residence in St David’s.

Anyone can use the charity’s many services throughout the week.

“We are available Monday through Friday so that people can come in, get a shower, get meals for breakfast and lunch and call potential employers from our location,” Ms Hayward said.