Another 54 units of affordable housing will be added to the “housing stock” as Government broke ground yesterday on Westcott Lane.

The three-acre plot of land was sold by Government, through the Bermuda Land Development Company, to the private contractor Trinity in November last year.

And yesterday, Premier Ewart Brown, the Minister of Works and Engineering Dennis Lister and the Chairman of the Bermuda Land Development Company, Walter Lister all donned hard hats and picked up shovels in the effort. Mr. Walter Lister said: “We are adding to the housing stock so housing for the average Bermudian is available. We’ve come a long way before breaking ground.”

“The staff at Bermuda Land Development Company stand here today for the commitment that Government made to give affordable housing to Bermuda,” added Mr. Dennis Lister.

The land at Westcott Lane, Southside, St. David’s was sold by Government to Trinity Contractors for $3.8 million last year as part of the private-public partnership.

Because the private contractor purchases the land at a discounted price, they must commit to building affordable homes that only Bermudians can buy.

Loughlands, which currently has 21 units near completion and a total of 96 units planned for that area, was also a private-public partnership as part of the Governments push for affordable housing.

And yesterday the Premier said at Westcott Lane there will be 54 units, which consist of 36 two-bedroom units and 18 three-bedroom units.

He said: “In November 2006 the legislation was passed to enable this project to move forward. There have been questions about whether we’re serious about tackling affordable housing.

“Well this is the second time I’ve put on a hard hat in two weeks, so I guess we are.”

The units will sell for between $425,000 and $500,000 as two and three-storey condos and the contractor, Steven Daniels said they plan to be completed in 18 months.

He said: “Trinity stands for excellence. And we will deliver this project on time and in budget as the doctor has said.”