Ten mobile homes bought by Government for half a million dollars six years ago have been sold off or demolished as they are no longer fit to be lived in.The pre-fabricated units were bought for about $50,000 each in 2005 to house low-income families, in a move criticised by the United Bermuda Party as a “last desperate measure” to ease the affordable housing shortage.Eight units were placed at Morgan’s Point in Southampton and two others at Beacon Hill, Somerset. A Government spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette yesterday all the families living in them had now been relocated.She said: “The mobile homes at Morgan’s Point have been sold to the developers of Morgan’s Point for their internal use as the homes have outlived their useful lives as residences.”The spokeswoman said the Beacon Hill units had been knocked down.She added: “It was always the intent of Government that the homes would serve an immediate need in 2006 and be dismantled after 30 months.“They have served their purpose and, in fact, outlived their expected lifespan. The homes were sold to a principal of Morgan’s Point for office use at the site.“The homes were sold ‘as is’, as they were about to be demolished. By selling them, Government saved the demolition costs.”She did not provide a figure for how much the Morgan’s Point developers paid for the eight units on the peninsula.Opposition Leader Kim Swan claimed last night the temporary homes were not a sensible buy, though he said the decision to purchase them by former Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent was well-intentioned.“When the mobile homes were purchased, Government came under immediate fire,” he said. “Many eyebrows were raised and concerns expressed.“Ironically, this occurred after the PLP went to great lengths to ridicule the UBP’s housing plan.”Acting Shadow Housing Minister Mr Swan said the mobile homes “always had a limited life span” and Government was rightfully questioned as to whether buying them was money well spent.He added: “There were huge concerns raised at the time the mobile homes were brought to Bermuda; concern centred around safety during high winds and the suitability of materials for Bermuda.“Reports of a deteriorated state of the mobile homes and of a fire sale comes as no surprise and is consistent with what happens when Government make ‘seat of the pant’ decisions.”The detached, single-storey mobile homes, each with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, living room, utility room and parking space, were officially opened in May 2006.Former Housing Minister David Burch said in a statement last October that the emergency units were intended to be used for 2.5 years, but occupancy was extended for another two years in January 2009.He said Government was on course to meet a revised deadline for their complete removal by January 2011.A spokeswoman for Morgan’s Point Ltd, which plans to build a $2 billion tourist resort at the former US Naval Annex over the next 20 years, confirmed the company bought eight units from Government but would not reveal the price paid.She said the mobile homes would be used during the development phase of the project.