Bermuda Homes for People (BHP) housing lottery winners have been left feeling afraid that Harbourside Village is a pipedream after many months of silence from the housing body.

On Friday June 3, 98 people left the Ruth Seaton James auditorium with a skip in their step because they were given the chance to get a new home for $198,000.

However, nearly three months since that jubilant scene, BHP lottery winners have not been contacted by BHP, have not had to put down any down payments and are continuing to look for affordable houses just in case BHP lets them down.

Winner, Tyrone Simmons said yesterday he was ?still waiting to hear something? from BHP and was ?starting to wonder.?

?When I found out that I had won I went there and they said they would get back to me. I left it for them to call me but they have not called yet,? he said. ?Every now and then I get concerned.? The last Government announcement said the completion date for the homes would be April 7, 2007.

Yesterday, Chairman Richard Winchell said the Harbourside Village was still going ahead, but that an announcement would only be ready after a ?board meeting? next week. Only them would BHP be in a position to give an update, he said ,and he suggested contacting Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent.

However, attempts to get an update from Mr. Ashfield were unsuccessful yesterday.

?I have not stopped looking for houses. It is not out of habit. It is out of need. I was told I would be contacted, but I have not heard anything. I wish they would contact me,? one woman who was afraid to be named for fear of reprisals said.

?All that happened and the praise for the Minister has blown away.?

She said BHP told them they would contact the winners in a month to collect their deposit, but this never took place.

?Michelle Easton, who is a single mom, won a three-bedroom but she is still in desperate need,? she said. ?When we speak now we won?t speak about the subject of winning the houses.?

When she won the chance to buy an affordable home we said the mood was ?ecstatic? however, the mood has turned into uncertainty.

He said he has had to rely on the radio and rumours to hear whether the home he was promised will ever be built.

The size of down payment was $15,000 he said, which was ?quite a lot? of cash. At last count the total number of people who had deposited down payments was 37.

And a fifth-alternate pick, who did not want to be named for fear of ?not getting another house? said the lottery mechanism was flawed. ?Actually, I did not like the way it was done from the beginning,? she said. ?Anyone who goes to bingo knows you have to warm up the balls. They did not do that. It was not a fair chance. I was extremely disappointed.?