Video: Affordable Housing Survey Launched
[Updated] Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch is holding a press conference this afternoon [March 20] to discuss housing in Bermuda. We will have additional coverage later on and in the meantime the live video is below.
Live video below, if you have any issues watching, please try viewing on Bernews Facebook page
Update 5.20pm: Minister Burch said, “Good afternoon. I’m joined today by the General Manager of the Bermuda Housing Corporation, Major Barrett Dill.
“The Mission Statement of the Bermuda Housing Corporation is:
“To provide accessibility to adequate, affordable housing and promote independent living to enhance the quality of life in Bermuda.”
“In order to be able to plan adequately to meet that mission – we need current data. There has been virtually no increase in the amount of affordable housing stock for at least the last 7 years and even less attention paid to maintaining the current housing inventory. As such there is a dearth of housing inventory to meet present needs. We currently cater to 500 families in both BHC and privately owned accommodation and another 180 families accommodated in rooming houses but, with an ever increasing demand, we lack the capacity to help more families.
“So today, the Ministry of Public Works in conjunction with the Bermuda Housing Corporation will launch a basic online survey to ascertain accurate numbers of those families in need of housing presently and in the future.
“The Bermuda Housing Corporation is committed to “providing access to adequate and affordable housing” and is determined to gather input from all Bermudians who also consider housing a priority. The goal is to identify what people need in terms of affordable and adequate housing for rent and/or purchase for themselves and their families.
“The survey has been designed to broaden the understanding of the issue of affordable housing in Bermuda and the accommodation needs of Bermudians.
“We are painfully aware of the struggles that people face regarding rents and purchasing units in the open market. Additionally, there are challenges and circumstances that prevent some from being properly and sufficiently housed such as unemployment, underemployment, low income, access and availability of units.
“The objective of the Bermuda Affordable Housing Survey is to identify key issues that will assist the Ministry of Public Works with strategizing and forward planning to meet the need. Accurate data is the key to being able to provide what is needed – so I encourage everyone to participate in the survey – so that our plans and actions going forward will address the needs of the Bermudian people.
“The survey can be found online at www.affordablehousing.bm and will be available until the end of April.
“Once the data is collated and analyzed – we will either confirm or adapt the current action plans to address the need. As is our custom – we will publicly report those findings and plans. Thank you.”
Keep doing what your doing and there will be a dearth of affordable housing.
There’ll be plenty of affordable housing if these clowns keep on their path.
House prices drop 50%. Incomes drop 50%. Unemployment numbers rise. Houses still not ‘affordable’.
What’s more likely is that people who worked and saved to get make a downpayment on a home will lose their investment when their net income drops and they can’t make the mortgage payments.
That’s great for me! I am looking to buy a few more houses at a bargain price! Cash is king and the cost of houses in Bermuda have been inflated for years! This is a good thing as money to be made buying on the way down!
There are currently properties listed for under $300k. It doesn’t get much more affordable than that!! Looks to me like de Pee El Pee want another pet project $$$$$$$!!!! Hahaha!!!
Hmmmm….if only if the Grand Atlantic wasn’t so full of people.
How is the government having discussions about affordable housing when they’ve just raised several taxes pertaining to housing. Is this real life?
They aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer
With property prices plummeting with the number of homes for sale as more people leave, affordable housing will soon be a reality. Except that the people remaining won’t have the jobs and income to take advantage.
Lies! We have our own currency we will be fine.
Ooops, sorry forgot that, along with the Great Atlantic development that was their masterpiece for affordable housing.
Credit for caring to address but you need a survey WHY?
I can save you the trouble. YES we need affordable housing because way too many by your own account of over 600 clients and counting are living in unsuitable accommodation and those who can afford housing are over paying on substandard units
The survey with just 3 questions is simplistic and would be more helpful if you went deeper into reasons
The three above me can make (valid) points on politics behind the crisis
But should have compassion for the state of accommodation many children are forced to live in
It’s borders on criminal how kids are being housed and what landlords are charging
So yes please Colonel DEAL
What landlords are charging? Hey I am a landlord and I sacrificed to get what I have and I stayed off AirBNB to give locals and workers a chance to live in good, clean accommodations so I charge what is commensurate with good and clean! There is so much crap out there and others have abandoned the local workers and gone AirBNB so luck in those lot please and leave us honorable landlords alone!
We already have affordable housing for Bermudians, with free health care and great schools. It is in the UK.
Amen
Affordable housing – yet another PLP phantom.
They’re running out of ideas
It is theatrics they want us to think that they are busy so we will be distracted from the long list of fails. I hear that the new bus schedule is not working, I still take my trash to the dump even though I pay taxes to have it collected, we have no idea how much sugar tax money actually gets to health related endeavors, no answers to questions about consultants, black list by EU,…..joke. BTW the EU blacklisting us is causing us present and future business so they need to drop everything and get it figured out. No Hamilton waterfront for you plp if you want nice things you need to earn them.
If they just increase the minimum wage a few hundred percent all housing will be affordable. Everyone would be rich. Easy. I don’t know why they haven’t already done it.
This is nothing more than creating an excuse for a capital housing project that will enable them to siphon more money out of the public for themselves, friends and family.
Their last housing project certainly went quite well, selling a single unit.
What’s wrong with Grand Atlantic? We paid for it, let’s use it.
Or is this survey just an excuse to spend more of our hard earned money on Government competing with private landlords?
he needs to deal with his own Ministry instead of sticking his beak into Housing,better still,quit and take the rest of your plp cohorts with you.
I have been in the housing business for 40 years.
Bermuda is becoming a concrete jungle.
Planning wake up !
The dreamers are pulling the wool over your eyes.
It take Oil the lubricate the wheel.
There is no such thing as affordable housing . never was and never will be.
What did the court house cost us ?
We import all the materials. sand will be next
Get real
Do you think that the workers can work of less .
No way !
Unions call the shots.
Do you think you can buy materials for less.
No way !
Merchants have a business to run and wages to pay.
Who picks up the tab for
Ocean insurance
Ocean freight
and other misc expences
LIKE
Import Duty
The Governments want their pound of flesh.
AND
where does the land come from?
Cross island built in the wrong place with no after thought
AND
pre~ fabs cost more per SQ FT than S.B.C . Standard Bermuda Construction which don’t last.
You know what amazes me?…..the complete rhetoric and utter nonsense spewed by the UPB and OBA puppets!
When your UBP was the Government, you had every opportunity to right the wrongs but instead ensured segregation to oppress the disenfranchised and yes I will say it BLACK people.
You STOLE our land, tricked people into signing over deeds and now you talk this nonsense. If that didn’t happen we wouldn’t have had to worry about looking for affordable housing because we would have been LAND OWNERS!!
Blame PLP for everything but I want you all to know that if it wasn’t for PLP, the benefits that so many of you presently enjoy would have never happened.
So Wahoo, take that hook out of your mouth as it is affecting your mind, Sandgrownan, take YOUR head out of the sand, 2 Bermudas, pick one and Ringmaster…yes you are obviously a circus clown
yawn