women who have fled their partners with people living alone or who have spare rooms.

Mr. Bascome -- speaking after a plea from the Physical Abuse Centre to find homes for its clients -- said: "I think there could be a match here.

"And if the Physical Abuse Centre has clients who they feel are suitable, I feel people should come forward.'' Physical Abuse Centre founder June Augustus this week called for people to open up their homes to help stave off an accommodation crisis for women who are in temporary safe havens provided by the charity.

Mrs. Augustus said the scheme would be "a two-way street'' with women and children finding affordable housing and people like the elderly who live alone finding company. And she added the proposal -- if it takes off -- would also save taxpayers' cash spent on topping up incomes so women on their own could meet a high rent.

Mr. Bascome added that the Admiralty House Community Centre ran a similar scheme placing elderly people in shared homes.

He said: "They have been quite successful in providing placements for seniors and this is along the same lines.'' Mr. Bascome added that Bermuda's rapidly-changing environment meant that much of the old-style relationship values were disappearing.

He said: "What we have to look at is that Bermuda has lost a lot of its neighbourly and cultural values.

"In times of need, we would step up and assist. But today we have a number of family fall-outs and break-ups -- and in that climate, every little bit helps.'' The Physical Abuse Centre also asked for owners of studio apartments or apartments where two or more people can share to come forward.

Mrs. Augustus said the current problems with low-income earners being able to find a place to live had sparked the appeal.

She explained the Centre's secret shelters had seven women plus some children in them at the moment -- usually for six to eight weeks. Mrs. Augustus said most of the Centre's clients had jobs -- but could not afford the "sky-high'' rents being demanded.

And she warned if the housing crisis continued, the Centre, which has space for up to 15 women, could face a logjam of clients who had nowhere else to go -- meaning other women might be turned away.

Mrs. Augustus added that the Centre's clients became homeless through no fault of their own.

And she said potential hosts need not fear the arrival of aggressive or violent former partners on their doorsteps -- because the women were no longer with their former partners.

Mrs. Augustus added that a careful vetting process would ensure that people were matched with suitable tenants.

Anyone who can help the Centre find homes for its clients should contact Mrs.

Augustus or Nina Jones on 292-4366 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.