(BARBADOS NATION) — The Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society is bracing itself for an influx of new homeless people on the streets this year, as retrenchments in the public sector are set to continue apace.

President Kemar Saffrey said projections were that about 120 newly displaced people could be sleeping rough by the end of the year.

And this would eclipse the number who joined the ranks of the homeless in 2018.

“We are looking at over 100 for this year,” said Saffrey. “We are probably going to be looking at 120 based on the economic situation. We are already seeing retrenched workers within our sector so we are probably looking at an increase of 120.”

He was speaking to the NATION as the Barbados Hash House Harriers promised that every dollar they collected from their Red Dress run on Saturday would be donated to the charity.