Stakeholders including donors, professionals and the Government will meet next week at a conference to shine a light on homelessness.

The Ending Homelessness Together conference on October 11 is open to the public and will offer an opportunity for residents to learn more about the social issue.

Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, is to attend the forum, which will be co-hosted by the charity Home.

It takes place at the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters in Hamilton on the day after World Homeless Day.

It will run from 10am until 3.30pm and several organisations including Solstice Bermuda and Bermuda is Love will take part.

Ms Furbert said the ministry, in collaboration with non-profit organisations, has been working to make further headway in capacity-building so that people can gain a better understanding of homelessness in Bermuda.

She said: “This has been an ongoing campaign — it hasn’t stopped.”

She said Home has been “very instrumental” in building awareness in the community, adding: “This is not just Government’s problem, it’s not just the community’s problem, it’s everyone’s issue and that we can hope to have some resolution and progress towards.”

In a statement, Home said it has identified 811 people experiencing homelessness in Bermuda at the end of 2023, or more than 1 per cent of the island’s population.

At next week’s conference, Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe will speak about the duty of care.

Home said a central element of its Plan to End Homelessness was the duty of care across service providers, to work together in the interests of an individual for as long as needed.

The charity said Leslie Grant, executive director of Focus Counselling Services, who is also an addiction counsellor and clinical supervisor at the non-profit, will speak about the importance of providing supportive housing for those living with addiction.

In addition, Carolyn Armstrong, executive director and founder of the charity Star, will then speak about housing people living with HIV/Aids.

A panel discussion on ending homelessness will follow the presentations, and Denise Carey, the executive director of Home, will recognise a group of “emerging leaders” at the event’s closing.

Ms Carey said: “Homelessness is a broad-ranging issue that encompasses many of Bermuda’s greatest social challenges.”

She said the event, as the first conference of its kind in Bermuda, will “promote a better understanding of some of those issues and bring together policymakers, services providers and members of the public with a common interest in ensuring everyone in Bermuda has a place to call home”.

Ms Carey thanked the BIU for providing the venue, along with specialist presenters and panellists for taking part.

She said the union’s willingness to take part exemplified the cross-community support needed to address and prevent homelessness.

Through its Housing-First programme at Black Circle, Home has provided shelter and support to 11 cohorts of eight homeless individuals.

The charity said it helps the individuals to acquire the tools needed to work towards sustainable independent living. It will welcome the twelfth cohort this month.

To register for next week’s conference, send an e-mail to Home.bm

Meanwhile, the Government is working to implement a range of initiatives to assist families.

Ms Furbert said: “These initiatives will help strengthen the social fabric of the Bermuda community and reflect the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for Bermudians.”

Under a $25m social services package announced by David Burt, the Premier, a $3.26 million allocation will be spent on several initiatives, including three programmes that fall under the Department of Child and Family Services.

Ms Furbert said one of the programmes included support, through vouchers, for families in crisis.

The support will zoom in on families facing sudden financial hardship, such as the immediate need for food, electricity or medications.

She said the DCFS will reintroduce the Cross Ministry Intervention Team model to support an Intensive Family Preservation programme.

It is geared at improving family functioning, avoiding incidents of child maltreatment and reducing foster care placements.

She said: “This programme will provide intensive home intervention services, which are based on best practice, directly to our high-risk families.”

In addition, the DCFS will issue a request for information to organisations in Bermuda which offer Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes.

These organisations will then be invited to submit proposals for delivering such services.

She said the initiative is aimed at developing a comprehensive Perpetrator Response Model for Bermuda, including specialist treatment services.

Read the original artice from The Royal Gazette