BAEH sees rising evictions, initiative to combat homelessness

Barbadians who fall back on their rent as COVID-19 gripped the country are being evicted in increasing numbers, prompting the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) to launch a community-based programme to stave off homelessness.

BAEH founder and president Kemar Saffrey said his organisation is seeking to work with government agencies, including the Welfare Department, and the private sector, to find solutions.

Saffrey said he was concerned that ex-tenants who come to his non-profit-organization seeking accommodation after they have been evicted from rental properties, or even family homes, usually blame joblessness for an inability to pay rent or contribute to the household.

“We are hoping that we can have a partnership with the private sector to say we will be coming on board to put funds aside to help these persons,” he said.

The advocate for the homeless told Barbados TODAY that the Adopt-A-Community initiative will allow BAEH to enter negotiations with landlords that would benefit renters who have run into financial difficulties, and also people who have become homeless as a result of family conflict.

Saffrey said: “We are trying to prevent homelessness by working with families and landlords to resolve situations and circumstances. So if there is a need we would try to help them through assistance from corporate Barbados. We will try to be able to pay rent and we will try to be able to pay bills and any other things that we can do.

“We want to help ease the pressure by asking corporate Barbados to help to keep people from becoming homeless through this Adopt-A-Community programme. We are going to be providing as much support as possible for persons calling us for help. We want to get this going because we are getting a number of calls from people saying that they are going to be evicted on this day or that day.”

He also explained that a number of landlords have indicated to him that they were hesitant to work with the Welfare Department because of the extended length of time it takes to get a grant to assist with rental payments.

“We have ongoing talks with several landlords about what we can do to prevent them from evicting tenants,” the BAEH president said. “So far we have gotten favourable responses. But another thing is that the Government needs to review a number of things as it relates to how landlords access their money through the Welfare Department. Some landlords have some fear about the long wait.

“Another one of the challenges we are finding is even if the person goes to welfare for the money to help pay rent, Welfare don’t do back payments on rent and the process to get the assistance is very lengthy.”

Saffrey gave the assurance that the BAEH’s 90-bed shelter on Spry Street stands ready to continue to help homeless people by providing them with food, clothing, temporary accommodation, and access to other services.

“But before we get to this point we want to help to cushion the situation and we have been doing it successfully with landlords and tenants and we are now willing to go into communities,” said Saffrey. And we have launched this programme that will help mitigate and prevent homelessness.”

(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)