Five priority projects have been identified for the next phase of housing development, the Minister of Housing and Municipalities announced today.

Zane DeSilva said the sites were identified from a pool of more than 30 across the island that were scouted for potential development.

He noted that the locations are already under the ambit of the Bermuda Housing Corporation and the Bermuda Land Management Corporation.

The sites are at Albert Row and Victoria Row in Sandys, a vacant lot close to Dr Cann Park in Southampton, a site at 13 Ewing Street in Hamilton, as well as one at Tommy Fox Road and another at Harbour View Village, both in St David’s.

Work will take place in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Mr DeSilva said: “Preliminary evaluations confirmed that the sites are well positioned in terms of land readiness, ownership, zoning and supporting infrastructure.

“Each has been prioritised to deliver a mix of affordable unit types with an emphasis on one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes where the demand is the greatest.

“We are pressing hard to get all of them ready as quickly as we can at the same time.”

Mr DeSilva said a modular housing project at Boaz Island in Sandys is progressing and the nine units for the site are expected to arrive within the next three weeks.

He said it is intended that the units will be installed in the next two months and “will provide immediate relief for applicants in urgent categories, while also serving as a live pilot to assess modular housing as a longer-term solution within Bermuda’s built environment”.

The units will also function as emergency transitional housing, with tenants moving into permanent homes as they become available, Mr DeSilva added.

Following a town hall meeting in December with members of the Boaz Island community, he said the modular project was modified to include buffers and realigned driveways.

Concerns had been raised about the site’s exposure to wind and whether a location farther inland would be more suitable.

A planning application to reflect the changes will be submitted to the Department of Planning, Mr DeSilva added.

The minister said that work also continued on the Government’s affordable housing strategy and copies of the plan were provided to the Cabinet.

He said initial consultations with government ministries were complete, with the next stage in the process being further talks with technical officers to refine the framework.

Mr DeSilva said the Government intends to release drafts of the plan to the public next month “so that wider community can help shape the final strategy”.

A technical advisory team which includes representatives from the BHC and BLMC was formed to address a number of housing issues in line with the strategy.

Mr DeSilva said the team is examining alternative construction methods, including precast concrete, modular and prefabricated systems.

The team’s work is geared at reducing construction costs, accelerating delivery timelines and ensuring that local contractors remain fully involved in future housing projects.