A woman said that she was forced to find a place to stay after she was kicked out of a government housing development with only one week’s notice.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said that she was not given adequate time by the Bermuda Housing Corporation to leave her apartment in the Gulfstream transitional housing complex in St David’s.

She said that she complained that the short notice was illegal and refused to leave, arguing that she deserved six months’ notice and court proceedings.

However, she said that on Monday the BHC changed the locks on the room with her belongings still inside and refused to let her collect her things.

The woman said: “I gave my last pay cheque to them [BHC], so I don’t have any gas money and my keys and ID are in my room.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

She added: “I’m not going to roam the streets. They need to give me a proper notice.

“What am I supposed to do? You want me to find an apartment when you know I’m not working?

“I deserve to be given a notice period. I’m not a piece a trash. I deserve to be given notice.”

The woman said yesterday that she stayed at several people’s houses during the week and had attempted that afternoon to retrieve her belongings from Gulfstream.

A BHC spokesman said the organisation was within its rights to evict the woman — a decision that it said it did not take lightly.

The woman had been at the housing development for more than a year after a falling on difficult times, including the closing of her business.

She said that she struggled to keep up with her rent, but missed the past two months because she had lost her job.

She insisted that when she began her stay at the development, the BHC told her that she was only needed to try to stay on top of her rent.

The woman said: “They told me, ‘we will work with you. It's OK if you can't pay the full rent, just try and it will be OK. We help people’.”

She claimed that this was “all lies”.

The woman argued that, according to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1974, she was allowed six months’ warning before being evicted and that she should be given an opportunity to contest the matter in court.

She told The Royal Gazette that she had no close family to stay with and could not afford to go anywhere else.

The woman added that she had complained about the state of the housing complex and the way the staff treated her and others, to no avail.

She said: “I have had a leak for two weeks. I spoke to maintenance and he says he can't come unless the head office tells him to fix it.

“I have so many ignored maintenance requests. They keep their apartments like dumps. They have no pride in the building.

“My window leaks in the rain because it was never installed properly.

“The bricks are turned sideways and birds live in there sometimes.”

The woman complained of damp and leaks during rainfall, often leading to mould.

She said the mildew got so bad that it began to affect her breathing.

She added that she only wanted to be treated fairly.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, which has oversight of BHC, responded to questions from the Gazette.

He said: “It should be noted in the first instance that the Bermuda Housing Corporation is committed to ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all its tenants, while maintaining the integrity of its housing programmes.

“The primary goal of BHC’s rooming houses is to provide safe and stable living environments for all residents.

“When individuals do not comply with the policies and community guidelines at the housing complexes, it undermines the stability and fairness of the programme.

“That said, the BHC can confirm that in this particular case, the individual in question was evicted in accordance with the terms of her licence agreement.

“Our rooming houses have a unique policy, whereas residents operate under such agreements, which allow for eviction with seven days’ notice.

“The BHC is committed to working closely with clients who find themselves behind in rent payments and we strive to develop plans that assist them in moving forward.

“Eviction is always a last resort, undertaken only when all other options have been exhausted and no viable alternative remains.”

The spokesman added: “In this particular case, the client had accumulated a substantial amount of unpaid rent and despite extended efforts and support, the BHC reluctantly proceeded with eviction.

“This decision was not made lightly; it followed numerous attempts to resolve communication and support, aimed at helping the tenant meet their obligations.

“We understand that eviction is a difficult and sensitive matter and we strive to handle such situations with the utmost care and compassion.

“We continue to offer resources and assistance to those in need to prevent such outcomes and we remain dedicated to fostering a supportive community for all.”

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