By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SOARING rents are fuelling a surge in need for shelter assistance across New Providence, with Social Services officials reporting that more families are being forced into shelters after sudden rent hikes of hundreds of dollars within weeks.

Chief Social Worker Deborah Smith, who oversees shelter operations, said the ministry has seen a spike in requests for emergency housing as tenants struggle to keep up with steep, often abrupt rent increases.

“The landlord’s gone crazy on rent,” she said. “I don't know why that is, but a lot of people who come to us also say that the landlord went up on me within the month, and they went from like $900 to $1500 and they give me another month to either pay or come out.”

Housing Minister Keith Bell has also warned that the government continues to receive reports of rent increases of $500 or more. He said draft legislation is being finalised to better balance landlords’ and tenants’ rights before the end of the term.

Ms Smith said there are currently 123 shelter spaces, but demand remains overwhelming. “Every day, people go out and they come in,” she said. “Once a person gets out that room, that room doesn't stay vacant. Someone is right here waiting to occupy that room.”

She said the number of people seeking housing help changes daily, often within minutes. At press time yesterday, six people were awaiting assistance, though new cases are logged continuously.

Social Services Minister Myles Laroda has said the government plans to rent two additional facilities to accommodate the growing number of displaced residents.

The issue gained renewed attention this week after Ameca Ford McKenzie, a mother of two autistic sons, revealed she had been forced to sleep in her car after falling behind on rent. She later received help from members of the Coalition of Independents and others.

Ms Smith said while shelter stays are generally capped at two weeks, extensions are often granted on a case-by-case basis, including for pregnant women and Family Island residents in Nassau for medical treatment.

She acknowledged, however, that some residents refuse to leave after their time expires, referencing the recent dispute at Poinciana Inn, where shelter occupants protested eviction notices. That matter is now before the courts.

Ms Smith said officials often work with residents to create exit plans, though family support networks have weakened. “That don’t happen anymore,” she said. “Because they don’t have the family support, they don’t have nowhere to go and there’s so many people out there homeless, but they would not come. It’s only when you run across them and you hear their stories.”