NATIONAL CONSULTATION ON HOMELESSNESS

As major projects reshape Bridgetown, the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) is warning that the capital’s renewal risks leaving vulnerable people behind, particularly those living with mental health challenges.

Speaking on Thursday at a national consultation on homelessness in The City and suburbs at the Radisson Aquatica Resort, BAEH head Kemar Saffrey said the forum was organised in response to growing complaints about people sleeping in public spaces such as Independence Square, Heroes Square, Jubilee Gardens and Golden Square.

“We’ve seen the problem in Bridgetown; we’re getting a lot of complaints about areas such as Independence Square, Heroes Square, Jubilee Gardens, Golden Square and some other public spaces,” Saffrey said.

He stressed that homelessness was not solely the responsibility of the BAEH and required a coordinated response from all stakeholders, particularly as major development projects move ahead in the capital.

“With all this development and all these new projects – Afreximbank and other expected projects – if we don’t address it now, there’s a fear that residents, and even tourists, will feel uneasy in some public spaces. We have to be proactive rather than reactive,” he said.

Saffrey identified mental health as one of the most pressing issues affecting people living on the streets, noting that some individuals were not consistently accessing treatment or medication.

“I’ve seen cases where persons are not taking medication, where persons have not gone to the psychiatric hospital in years, and then they behave in a way that the public fears,” he said.

He warned that without intervention, the issue could affect both public confidence and perceptions of Bridgetown as the city undergoes significant transformation.