Housing Minister David Burch has blasted back at a single mother who begged Government to help her family find a home.

Matasha Winters told The Royal Gazette that she had to give up two of her children for adoption because she has no permanent roof over her head.

But Senator Burch said Government was doing all it could to help the mother-of-seven.

And in a strongly-worded attack he called on Ms Winters to ?stop seeing herself as a victim? and accept that her ?irresponsible behaviour? triggered her housing woes.

He told a press conference yesterday that Ms Winters had racked up nearly $20,000 in arrears to the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

She was a BHC tenant between 1995 and 2002 and the Minister said she owed a further $7,000 to the corporation as a result of ?wilful damage incurred on the property?, despite attempts by BHC staff to curb the damage.

Sen. Burch said that Ms Winters, 34, had been told earlier this week that accommodation at an emergency rooming house would be provided when a room became available.

And he said that it had been recommended that when Ms Winters moves back into BHC housing, she should live with her two youngest children ? gradually bringing the others into the home to get herself ?stabilised? first.

Sen. Burch said: ?I am satisfied that all that could be done is being done to assist this client ? in spite of the outstanding arrears.

?Ms Winters would be well served to stop seeing herself as a victim and to recognise that her repeated irresponsible behaviour is the cause of her difficulties.

?An acceptance of personal responsibility would demonstrate awareness that she genuinely needs a hand up ? not a hand out.?

He said Government did not evict families and put them on the street, and added that he was bemused by Ms Winters? response.

?I am at a complete loss to identify where this totally un-Bermudian sense of entitlement emanates from,? he said. ?Government is not the candy store for everyone to dip into at will.?

He continued: ?We are in the hand-up business, not the hand-out business. Every tax-payer in this country demands not only that we help the downtrodden but also that we hold them accountable. That is precisely what is occurring in this case.?

Sen. Burch said he looked forward to the day when people seeking help acted responsibly before going to the media. However, he stressed that Ms Winters would not be penalised for speaking out.

He said Ms Winters had asked to be considered for the cross-ministry, new mobile housing project at Rockaway but that request stalled due to her relationship with a number of families already in the programme.

After this, the Housing Minister said BHC staff organised a meeting on Monday and told her about the emergency rooming house plan.

He estimated that about $1 million was outstanding in total rent arrears from all BHC tenants, although this figure was going down. This debt burden had a ?tremendous impact? on affordable housing projects, he admitted.

Ms Winters told The Royal Gazette how her house in Somerset burnt down in 2004. She said she fell behind on her BHC rent when she lost her job at the Fairmont Southampton after tourism dropped after 9/11.

She is currently living with her sister in Paget. No longer with any of the three fathers of her children, said she was desperate to bring up the five children who still belonged to her.

Responding to Sen. Burch, she said last night that the emergency rooming house at St. David?s was not big enough for her and her five children.

She accepted she owed $20,000 after losing her job ? half for arrears and the other half for upgrades towards improvements at the property ? but maintained the extra $7,000 damage bill was not her fault.

She said she did not understand why the Minister said there would be a problem with her living at the new Rockaway project. And Ms Winters added: ?I?m not the only person that owes Bermuda Housing Corporation money. Yes, I have been irresponsible in the past, but I need some help now.?