Bermuda launches initiative aimed at ending homelessness

The Bermuda government has announced a new initiative aimed at ending homelessness in the British Overseas Territory, describing it as a coordinated, evidence-based effort to ensure every resident has access to safe and stable housing.

Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors Tinée S. Furbert said the initiative represents a significant milestone in the David Burt administration’s ongoing commitment to addressing homelessness in a unified and humane manner.

Furbert said the goal is to ensure that everyone has a safe, stable and sustainable place to live, while also preventing new cases of homelessness wherever possible.

“Recognising that no model will eliminate the risk of homelessness, should homelessness occur, systems are in place to ensure that it is rare, brief and non-recurrent,” she said. “Please be aware that homelessness is not only a housing plan, but also a step toward reconnection as homelessness for some is seen as a form of escape, freedom or can be due to complex personal circumstances.”

The minister said the plan took approximately two and a half years to develop and was informed by data and insights from more than 400 Bermudians experiencing homelessness, as well as hundreds of hours of collaboration with community experts, government and non-government partners. Research into solutions from more than 40 countries also informed the initiative.

Public consultations were also held through town hall meetings and the government’s Bermuda Citizens Forum. A Homelessness Advisory Panel, comprising representatives from the public, private and non-profit sectors, was later established to refine the work.

The resulting Plan to End Homelessness is structured around seven core areas, including reducing rough sleeping, improving data collection and monitoring, expanding access to affordable housing, coordinating service delivery, implementing public policy reforms and increasing public awareness.

Furbert said the plan incorporates international best practices adapted to Bermuda’s social and economic realities.

A key feature of the plan is a comprehensive definition of homelessness based on the European Typology on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS), which recognises that a home has physical, social and legal dimensions. The plan outlines 13 operational categories to better identify the different circumstances faced by those experiencing homelessness.

The minister said the initiative also includes “point-in-time” data as of December 31, 2025, collected through the HOME administrative system.

The data showed 170 people living rough and 99 staying in night shelters. It also recorded 217 individuals in accommodation for the homeless, 33 in women’s shelters, 24 in accommodation for immigrants and 113 people due to be released from institutions without housing arrangements.

Additionally, 188 people were living in insecure accommodation, 130 were under threat of eviction and 15 were under threat of violence. Another 89 individuals were living in temporary or non-conventional structures.

Furbert noted that the data reflects specific individuals and is not statistically extrapolated, meaning overall homelessness levels may be higher. The plan also referenced census-based figures showing 82 people experiencing homelessness in 2010 and 138 in 2016.

The minister said the initiative adopts a prevention-focused approach, prioritising early intervention and rapid rehousing, while calling for systemic reforms in data collection, service delivery, housing supply, welfare entitlements and statutory protections.

The strategy also aims to rapidly reduce rough sleeping, improve homelessness data systems, expand affordable housing and strengthen public education and awareness.

Furbert said the ministry has also developed a four-year National Homelessness Action Plan covering 2025 to 2028 to guide implementation.

“This action plan translates vision into action. It will establish government’s clear priorities and provide a structured, phased framework to guide implementation, while optimizing the use of existing programmes and resources,” she said.

The minister added that the action plan is guided by prevention-first, trauma-informed, person-centred and rights-based principles, and emphasises collaboration across ministries, inclusion of persons with lived experience and the use of reliable data to measure progress.