The United Bermuda Party is taking credit for a new housing scheme announced yesterday and says that Government has yet to produce a long-term housing plan.

In a statement released just hours after Government's announcement, Shadow Housing Minister Wayne Furbert said the development vindicated the Opposition's six years of efforts “in championing the concerns of Bermudians seeking to find an affordable place to call home”.

The statement continued: “By bringing the people's concerns to the Government's attention and forcing them to acknowledge the depth of Bermuda's housing crisis, the Minister of Housing has been forced to support this private initiative through the provision of Government land.

“While much more needs to be done to address the affordable housing crisis, this joint project is a first step and reflects the United Bermuda Party's vision of Government and the private sector, working together to address the problem.”

It added: “We trust that full details of the plan will be disclosed in the near future and we encourage the project managers to meet with the Southside community as soon as possible to insure that their questions and concerns are addressed.”

The statement also warned the public not to be “misled” into thinking that Government had produced a long-term housing plan.

“This is basically a private sector initiative supported by the Government and is not the broad strategic plan that we have been calling for. “However, we believe that this scheme is a step in the right direction and will begin to add additional units to the affordable housing market.”

The statement went on to say that Government had failed in its primary function: “(T)o protect the interests of every Bermudian by seeking new and innovative ways to address present community concerns, while anticipating future needs.

“By this standard the PLP Government has failed in many ways but most glaringly so on the issue of housing. The United Bermuda Party will continue to call on Government to produce a comprehensive affordable housing plan in partnership with the private sector and the construction industry.”