Homelessness ‘is not due to people being irresponsible’
The majority of homeless cases are because of a change in people’s circumstances and not “because they’ve been irresponsible”, according to former finance minister Curtis Dickinson.
Mr Dickinson sits on the board of the charity Home, which supports people out of homelessness for good and works to prevent new cases of homelessness.
It was founded by Arthur Wightman, PwC’s Bermuda leader, who approached Mr Dickinson to join the board.
“I reflected on it and I thought this would be a great way to give back,” he said. “We are an incredibly successful country in a number of measures, but that doesn't mean that there are things that we can’t do better.
“The problem of homelessness is one that requires attention. The Government and social agencies are inundated with a whole bunch of other issues.
“I think what Home represents is a great partnership between a charity organisation and broader community stakeholders, including the Government.
“I’ve been really encouraged by the relationship that has been built between the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, Tinée Furbert, and Home.
“I think that this is a partnership that can actually lead to positive change in Bermuda where you have an outside organisation, a charity, working with the Government.”
He said Home had been able to show people that the definition of homelessness “actually extends way beyond those folks you see on the street”.
Mr Dickinson said a homeless person could be someone “who gets up every day and goes to work, who dresses like normal people, who are sleeping either on someone's couch or in their cars”.
“I think by and large, unless, you know, you’re close friends of these folks, most people just don't know.”
The Royal Gazette in conjunction with stakeholders including Home has launched its Ending Homelessness campaign to remind the community that the homeless matter.
Home, and others, want to end homelessness. So do we. We want your support. We want you to change your perception of the homeless. We want you to help lobby for simple changes. We want you to show compassion.
Homeless people want to work so that they may be self-sufficient. They did not choose to be homeless and in many cases their plight was brought about by systemic failings in this country.
Home has produced a report, Plan to End Homelessness, which is out for consultation and points to issues and solutions to the homelessness problem in Bermuda. It can be seen in Related Media.
“The work that we’ve been doing at Home has been intended to raise the profile of the issue, but also try to find constructive ways of solving the problem and to try to take away some of the stigma.
“I think the vast majority of people who find themselves homeless isn’t because they’ve been irresponsible, it’s because things have changed, their circumstances have changed.”
Mr Dickinson said when he was growing up there was a sense of community, and added: “I wonder if we still have that sense of community. You wonder if the relationships that we used to have as a village, as a community, have broken down somewhat.”
In 2010, the Bermuda Census identified 82 people experiencing homelessness. By 2016, that number had risen to 138.
According to Home, the Department of Statistics developed those estimates based on counting rough sleepers and the population housed in the Salvation Army emergency shelter.
As of December 31, 2022, Home had recorded more than 650 people experiencing homelessness.
Asked about possible solutions to end homelessness, Mr Dickinson said heightening levels of awareness over the causes was important “because I think you have to remove the stigma”.
“I've never been homeless, but I can imagine. I mean, we were raised at a time where my mother sometimes had difficulty paying all the bills on time, and so the lights were turned off.
“I don't know what it's like to be without a home, but I certainly know what it’s like to be without lights and having to dip water and boil water and live that way.
“I think there’s a part that we can play that isn't financial, which is about heightening awareness, which I think goes a long way to helping the community to be more empathetic towards those who find themselves homeless.”
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