Shadow Housing Minister Wayne Furbert yesterday launched a scathing indictment against the Government on their inaction on the housing crisis.

Mr. Furbert, in an address that lasted hours, condemned Government on what he said was their failure ?to produce and act on a comprehensive plan to solve the problem of affordable housing in Bermuda?.

He said that the United Bermuda Party in nine years had produced seven written reports in on its plans to tackle the problem but he could not find a single plan by the Government.

?A plan is needed so that people can read on it, digest it and build on those ideas.?

He said that, in the six years since they came to power, the PLP have ?sold the country short? on housing.

He charged they had taken no action on housing for seniors, on increasing the number of rental units, on improving things for young people who want to buy a home, on financing for homes or on plans to work with the private sector.

He said it has been almost 11 months since the Progressive Labour Party have been back in office and yet they have not expanded any further than to say they will take a ?collaborative approach? to the issue.

?What approach have they taken except to build congested homes at Mary Victoria Road?? he asked. ?And in St. George?s, I haven?t heard any approach that Government plans to take there.?

He added: ?For six years, there is no evidence that they have given any direction to solving the housing problem. We have gone through three ministers. Each one says ?I have a plan?.

?They can?t be lying but I see no plan. But each minister says ?I have a plan? like the ?I have a dream?.

?Burch said we?d get money back but we haven?t seen financials from the BHC for three years.

?Somebody has been lying to us and there must be something we can do when Ministers are derelict in their duties, in following through with their reports.?

Mr. Furbert noted that when Terry Lister was Housing Minister in 2003, he said the BHC had an affordable housing plan over three years.

?The only houses I?ve seen them build were those ones in Warwick ? Perryville ? which some said were $450 a square foot. They could have built twice as many for that price.?

Mr. Furbert noted that in November 2003 the Housing Minister said he would unveil his plan ?through a series of weekly press conferences?.

?As I recall, the Minister had two meetings then stopped. He said I plan to build 56 units over the next two years. So he has one more year to build (the) Mary Victoria Road (units).?

Mr. Furbert quoted present Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent as saying ?I definitely have a plan? and ?since I?ve been told I have more money, I look forward to working quickly.?

?No one has seen the plan,? Mr. Furbert said. ?Maybe he has kept the plan inside himself, but I don?t think so. There is no comprehensive plan coming from the minister.?

Mr. Furbert said his party had felt the matter to be of such importance that in 1983 a Cabinet Committee headed by Sir John Swan, tackled the issue and came up with a plan.

He detailed affordable housing stock that the UBP added from that time the list included: Frog Lane, Boaz Island, Longford Hill, Devon Springs, Rockaway, Midland Heights, Top Square and Glebe Land.

Mr. Furbert also chastised the Government for the lack of funding it has committed to the problem.

?In 1983 we had looked at $36 million and Government had the nerve to bring $5 million two months ago. Today that can build you about one house and not Dr. Brown?s ? that would cost you about $10 million.?

Mr. Furbert also claimed that Government has not changed its relationship with the BHC since the time the UBP was in office. ?Is it still relevant to work with them in the same way that we did?? he asked.

?Housing allowance has not changed. I adjusted the formula when I was the minister to be more reflective of the time. Even if they just changed the formula and produced an action plan to move the country forward.?