This was supposed to be the land where they were to own their first home and settle down for their retirement.

Michael Aubrey wanted to have a garden to plant and a house to fix-up on the weekends and his wife, Rosalie, was excited about having windows that didn't crack and a ceiling she wasn't worried about falling in.

But almost three years since they claim they won an affordable home through the Bermuda Homes for People (BHP) Lottery they are still waiting and watching as rubble rather than homes fill the lot at Harbour View Village in Southside.

It is a project beset with problems from the beginning with BHP withdrawing from the project, problems with securing the Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC) land from tenants and a massive water tank discovered under the ground.

Even with this set-back, though, Housing Minister Senator David Burch had promised that construction on the 98 homes to be sold for $199,000 would start last September. Instead of homes, however, a visit to the Southside site revealed mounds of rubble and only two diggers on the land.

Michael and Rosalie, who have been married since 1983, looked sadly on the upturned earth that they say was meant to be their home, they were to share with their 19-year-old daughter Nicole.

Michael, who is 60-years-old and nearing retirement, worries he will not have a home to retire too and if he has to continue paying rent, he won't be able to save when he stops working.

He said: "It was the first home we were going to own. Since 1983 I have been renting a two bedroom place. I don't want to do it anymore.

"I don't know what's keeping them back. We tried to get another place. We tried Duck's Puddle. There were a lot of places but my name wasn't picked.

."We try to save and we are afraid the rent is going to go up. We have savings but if the rent goes up then we won't be able to afford the place.

"We are not really happy and we're frustrated sometimes, but I try to keep my mind on other things.

" It's a limbo that Rosalie worries damages Michael's health as he constantly returns home worrying and upset by the promises.

She said: "Right now we can't do what we want to do. I think they shouldn't let us down because we have been waiting since last January and we are still waiting.

"He has been saying over and over that he's tired of paying rent."He just wants his own place somewhere to work in the garden and to work on the house, you know. It's not fair."

Unfortunately for the Aubrey's their wait will be a bit longer as a tender went out last week in the Bermuda Sun asking for contractors for the project.

After a groundbreaking ceremony last May, Sen. Burch promised bids would go out the following August in his speech to the Senate last June.

He said at the time: "For those who think last week was just a photo op let me set out the timeline for this project.

"Six to eight weeks of site clearing, excavation and grading concurrent with that is the removal of a 500,000 gallon underground storage tank and contract documentation preparation.

"August 2007, contract documents out to tender to invited contractors. Construction begins in September, 2007.

"The announcement came after the number of homes and type of homes changed following the amount of land given to the project shrank from 16 acres to four.

Now rather then townhouses the plans call for apartments, with the advertisement requesting: the multiphased construction of the 106 condominiums at Southside, St. David's.

Since last Thursday, repeated questions asking for details on the development were sent to Sen. Burch through the Department of Communications.

Yesterday afternoon his spokesperson replied that he was open to speak to the lottery winners.The spokesperson said: "Over the past several months, the Minister has consistently demonstrated his willingness and openness to meeting with the Harbour View Village lottery winners directly.

"The Minister intends to continue this practice. As such Minister Burch will address any issues with those concerned directly, and not through the media."