A single mother and her two young children -- including one with a hole in the heart -- faced eviction in the rain yesterday.

The Bermuda Housing Corporation lost patience after Lakeisha Wilson failed to pay off her debt of more than $9,000 which she built up in ten months.

However, she admitted she could have kept up with her payments had she stayed in touch with the Social Assistance Department which was prepared to give her $500 a month.

A tearful Miss Wilson told The Royal Gazette : "They gave me assistance for the first month I was in the flat, but they cut it off because they said I didn't keep in contact.'' Her problems got worse when she was fired from her job at Lindos.

She failed to attend her court hearing for the debt in September after she fell behind with a $325-a-week bill to cover both the rent and arrears.

She said her current job as a relief maid at the Sonesta Beach Hotel does not pay enough to meet the $1,100 rent on the two-bedroom apartment at Berkeley Road, Pembroke, where she lived until yesterday with her daughter Lashonte, six, and her son Tajhun, three, who suffers from a heart condition.

"I've been at the Sonesta since April, but the money fluctuates and it's not good right now,'' she said.

"In May I was told to pay $325 a week for my apartment. But if I paid that, my kids wouldn't eat.

"I've been to Social Assistance and every time I go I give them the information they want.

"But when I rang this morning they were asking for something else.'' "The bailiff came on Monday and said I needed to be out by Wednesday,'' she added. "I've nowhere to go.

"The only thing I can do is pitch a tent. I called (Health Minister) Nelson Bascome to get a little more time to work something out, but he said there's nothing he can do.

"My little boy has a hole in the heart. He's in and out of hospital a lot and gets sick real easy.

"If we have to jump from here to there, it won't do him any good.

"There's no room at my mom's house -- it's not an option to go there.'' Housing Corp. workers turned up yesterday lunchtime to change the locks but Miss. Wilson had to leave most of her stuff inside as she had nowhere to put it.

She said: "I've left my TV, fridge and stove. They told me to take it out but it was raining and it would get ruined.'' Mom and children booted from house "They told me it has to be out by Friday but if it all gets damaged I will have to start from scratch again if I ever did find another place to live.'' "But I don't really think they care about me.'' Housing Corporation rentals manager Wendy Bassett said evictions were rare and only occurred after every attempt had been made to get people to address their arrears problem.

She added that the Corporation would not necessarily rule out providing Miss Wilson with accommodation in future.

She said: "If at some point somebody is evicted but housing needs are still there, they could still be considered for housing.'' Rosemary Pedro, of the People's Coalition for Affordable Housing, said: "She may have been irresponsible, but the point is how much have they reached out to her to show her how to become a responsible tenant? "Was she overwhelmed and did she feel overburdened? "The Housing Corporation are supposed to be people-friendly.

"There was one Housing Corporation employee telling people how to clean their house.

"So why can't they get them to go round and tell people about budget management. How can she be in that much arrears?'' Health and Family Services Minister Nelson Bascome said his Ministry had "gone the whole nine yards'' in trying to help Miss Wilson.

Mr. Bascome said Miss Wilson will stay with the family of the father of one of the children.

"We have attempted to help her become an accountable Bermudian,'' he said.

"But how much pushing can you do without violating someone's rights?'' He also said the crisis might finally shock Miss Wilson into taking some responsibility for herself.

"She might learn from this,'' he added.

"I believe this is the first eviction we've had since I've been a Minister.

"In the last few months we've had people in deep arrears and we have been able to give them financial assistance and help them get a job.''