A mother of three has spent the last six months living out of a car.

The car she and one of her children sleep in is driven during the day and night by her brother and only after that does she gets to sleep in the car at night.

The woman, who does not want to be identified told she had to move out of her home six months ago, through no fault of her own. The courts made an order that her home was not habitable.

She is in her mid-40s and her children range in age from 16 to 30.

Although she now suffers with back pain, she said: "It wasn't so bad living in the car during the summer months, but it is getting too cold now.

"I just want a two-by-two place, as long as I can get a stove or a hotplate, a fridge and a bed in it ? we can sleep together.

"I just want to be able to go home."

Sheelagh Cooper of The Coalition for Protection of Children said homelessness abounds with families, and more specifically with single mothers.

"Homelessness is a crisis that we need to deal with now," said Mrs. Cooper.

"It's awful and it is a direct cause of social instability."

Government Financial Assistance head Olga Scott said she has not heard of this case before, but said: "She needs to come in for help, because we work together with sister agencies like the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

"We cannot help if we are not aware of the situation."

The woman said some of the hardest things about living out of a car was not being able to bath, cook, iron, save money or to simply use the toilet in the middle of the night.

She said that she usually gets up early in the morning and arrives at work before her co-workers so that she can get a wash in the sink.

"They have a shower there, but I don't want anyone to realise that I don't have a home to go to," she said.

The woman has a full time job, which she said: "I regularly work on my day off to try to make extra money, but it is difficult to save anything, because living in the car forces us to eat take out three times a day.

"It's not easy."

She said that when she had her place, she often helped people in her position, but said none have reached out to help her.

"I do not want to go to Family Services because, I don't want my business all over the street," said the woman.

Shadow Minister of Heath and Social Services Michael Dunkley said that people needed to come out of the closet and approach the agencies that could help.

"It is an unfortunate situation, especially when becoming homeless was out of your control," said Mr. Dunkley.

"But we have to get rid of the foolish pride and go and seek help, because it could happen to any of us.

"The longer people remain in that predicament, the worst it will become.

"Go to the agencies that are in place."