NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As international economists warn of an impending recession and inflation taking a toll on the price of food and housing in the country, many are finding themselves seeking help from the Department of Social Services.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Renewal, Obediah Wilchcombe said that with 10 to 11 thousand people coming to them on a monthly basis for food and shelter assistance, they are in the process of introducing the RISE benefits assistance program.
“What we are seeing more than anything else is people needing shelter,” he said.
More and more people are needing shelter, can’t afford to pay for a place to live and that’s one of the reasons why we are introducing RISE. It not only deals with food and health assistance and clothing assistance and the rest; what it does is its really to break that cycle.
Wilchcombe explained that the program will have a job creation element to fix the issue of people having to continually come back to them for help after a week of granted assistance.
“We’ve seen here, that (previous) program was you’d bring somebody in for a week who needs help. They would want housing for a week or you give them housing for a week then you’d put um back out and then what?
“We just took them off the beach, took them out of the car, and then you back on the road. Well, the system that we’re trying to introduce is a system where you come into the program with certain conditions but the program also helps you leave with a transition.”
The Social Services Minister explained that it is crucial to help people organize themselves in a sustainable way setting them on track in a gradual system that can be monitored in order to avoid people being stuck in unfortunate circumstances and constantly in need of assistance.
Wilchcombe said: “What we see is there is a demand right now for housing, and every day you are seeing women with four and five children.
“[…]We are seeking to ensure that 10% is across the board provided, that we are introducing that to people rather that’s an increase that’s in food that’s in a shelter that’s in whatever we have to provide because people need that,” Wilchcombe said.
