On June 3 the Ruth Seaton Auditorium at CedarBridge Academy resembled the "Price is Right" studio with Bermuda's first housing lottery taking off.

Three hundred people crowded into the hall hoping and praying they would walk away with a set of keys to a new home.

The lottery was for homes in the Harbourside Village in St. David's, which were being built by Bermuda Homes for People.

The homes were being sold to lottery winners for just $199,000 ? an unheard of low price for a home in Bermuda. On offer were two-, three- and four-bedroom units.

The original idea was for the cut-price houses to be subsidised by 98 identical homes being sold at market value.

Prior to the event the project hit many bumps along the road, there were delays, near insolvency and the resignation of the man behind its concept, Cliff Schorer. However, everyone who attended the event would say the project was a resounding success.

Ninety eight people walked away with homes and those who did not win were given hope.

"This is not the end, this is the beginning," Premier Alex Scott told those in attendance who did not secure a home.

"We're gonna roll up our sleeves and make other Bermudians successful. All we need is your support."

Ashfield DeVent, the Housing Minister at the time, was also impressed by the eventful evening. He said it helped to remind him of why he was a politician.

"It is clear by the amount of people here and their reactions that this is needed," he said.

At the time of the lottery the housing project was expected to be finished by April 7, 2007, already 37 families have placed deposits on the houses which will be sold at market value.

In August a number of the lottery winners came to with concerns because three months had passed with no word from BHP. Many were still looking for affordable housing in case it fell through.

On September 6 Bermuda Homes for People chairman Richard Winchell explained that his organisation had to pull out of the Harbourside Village project because it had never had control of the property. Though he did not actually say it was also due to a lack of financing he did indicate that the bank had asked for 50 deposits to be paid and the BHP had only received 35 deposits. The first deposit for a Harbourside Village resident was $15,000.

On September 9 the Harbourside Village project builder Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC), which also owns the site, confirmed it was uncertain it would continue with the development.

Former BHP project manager John Gaston blamed the collapse of the project on BLDC and said they had failed to make available the necessary land for the project on September 13.

The Government did not make an official statement about the project until December 21 when the new Housing Minister Lt. Col. Burch assured lottery winners the project would happen.

He told them that it might not be on the same site, or delivered by the original date but said he was committed to ensuring they got the homes they won.