Task force on homelessness gets thumbs up from BAEH

The Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) has expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the National Task Force on Homelessness, whose work has informed a National Policy and Strategic Action Plan on Homelessness that will be rolled out later this year.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, BAEH president and founder Kemar Saffrey highlighted the task force’s activities, highlighting its effectiveness and collaborative approach.

The task force, established in collaboration with the Ministry of People Empowerment to address the growing issue of homelessness in the country, has been operational for the past six months and Saffrey said early meetings have shown promising results.

“Based on my initial meeting with the task force, it has been going well,” he said. “They are in constant consultation with us, and we are lending our expertise to the task force. It’s a good working relationship, and we are working towards the same goal—reducing homelessness in Barbados.”

The George Griffith-chaired body has been actively engaging with key stakeholders, including the BAEH, to ensure that the strategies being developed are effective and comprehensive. 

According to Saffrey, it is working on policies and administrative strategies to provide sustainable solutions to address the problem of homelessness.

“We are happy with the progress that they’re making and we will continue to lend our support,” he assured.

On Sunday, during a church service at the Calvary Moravian Church ahead of World Homeless Day, which is marked on October 10, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Elder Affairs and People Empowerment, Jehu Wiltshire said the task force was doing important work, noting that it had enlisted the University of the West Indies to research what was driving homelessness in Barbados.

A survey undertaken on December 23, 2023, counted 239 homeless people, 139 of whom are on the streets. Family conflict stood out as the leading cause of homelessness, accounting for roughly 60 per cent of cases. 

“It would appear to us that, especially since COVID-19, families are less tolerant or less patient to deal with conflict in the family,” Wiltshire said.

He said another survey will be done this year “because we do believe that there has been an increase in homelessness, especially because there’s less tolerance in the family unit”.

The ministry official also hinted at a broader structural overhaul on the horizon.

Later this year, Barbados will roll out a National Policy and Strategic Action Plan on Homelessness, an effort driven by the UWI and informed by the task force’s work. 

While details are still under wraps, Wiltshire stressed that it’s not just about reacting to homelessness but proactively preventing it.

“If we do the work upstream, we’ll actually be able to save taxpayers money in terms of the various measures that we have to deal with homelessness,” he noted. “We need to become a more tolerant society, a more forgiving society, a more caring society.” (LG/RG)