Housing Minister David Burch said development of a Bermuda Housing Corporation lot in Ewing Street will start in the new year.

The five-storey building will have two storeys of commercial space and three floors of residential space.

Detailing the state of play in other projects he said the Perimeter Lane development has been given planning permission and tendering documents will be issued shortly with groundbreaking expected early in 2007.

The project had been opposed by some neighbours but Sen. Burch pledged they would be kept abreast of events.

He also said groundbreaking was imminent for the much-delayed Harbour View Village complex at Southside which promises 110 units.

Sen. Burch said the plan to house Bermudians was backed by everyone yet Government still had to waste time justifying the need for action.

?There should be no NIMBY-ism when everyone in this country knows someone in need of housing.

?Bermuda we must change the rallying cry to ?Why aren?t you building in my backyard, Minister??

?Can you picture a Bermuda where all residents are properly housed and all pay their rent, or mortgage, at rates they can afford from the pay cheques of their day jobs?

?A Bermuda where parents will be home to supervise homework because they no longer have to work a second or third job in order to make ends meet.

?Incidents of unsupervised youth creating havoc will be reduced.

?And criminal activity will be reduced ? because they will be home sleeping in a house where they have adequate accommodation.?