MORE WOMEN are turning to the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society (BVHS) for help, says chairman Kemar Saffrey.
While the organisation is seen as one where men could turn for assistance, there has been a noticeable increase in female clients with the number at 20, he said.
The numbers coming through the BVHS’ doors had trebled in the last two years, moving from 70 active clients annually in 2012 to 218 today, while more people were also seeking meals.
“The assessments show that the main reason always happens to fall to the family. Drugs is not [what] we’re finding as the main reason, it is family. The economic downturn is another big issue as people are losing jobs, losing homes.
“Family is the No. 1 reason people are on the streets. Disputes, job cuts [which lead] to you not being able to pay bills, so you’re living off people. Then you have death where an elderly person who owns the house dies and there’s a family dispute for legal rights of property if there wasn’t a will or if there was, and then you have the oldest [sibling] fighting the youngest.” (Green Bananas Media)
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