A mini-community of pre-fabricated homes was officially unveiled at Morgan?s Point yesterday ? giving a ray of hope to eight families who desperately need roofs over their heads.

New residents will start to move into the cluster of emergency properties immediately, Housing Minister David Burch confirmed at yesterday?s launch event.

Two more single-storey, three-bedroom homes, which also cost about $50,000 each, are also ready for occupancy at Beacon Hill, Somerset.

And the Minister said Government would continue to ?forge ahead? with more innovative housing initiatives in forthcoming months in a bid to ease Bermuda?s housing crisis.

The pre-fabricated home idea was first raised 18 months ago when former Minister Ashfield DeVent was in the housing hotseat, and later attracted protests from residents who did not want the temporary properties in their neighbourhoods.

Senator Burch yesterday praised his predecessor for ?having the foresight to think outside the box? to plug the housing gap.

Ten units have been sited at Morgan?s Point and in Somerset, but he said the problems that dogged attempts to find other suitable locations in central and eastern parts of the Island meant that no more pre-fabricated homes were on the horizon.

He said the initial plan was to place six mobile homes at Morgan?s Point, on the site of a former US military zone baseball pitch. But when suitable land could not be found elsewhere on the Island, amid community complaints, two units more were transported to the former military site.

Asked about the reaction of neighbours in the Morgan?s Point area, Sen. Burch said that initially they expressed some worries.

?We met them some time last year and we were able to address all of their concerns regarding location and what it would look like and the impact on their neighbourhood.

?I would not say they are overjoyed but they are quite happy to see how it goes.?

New residents were expected to start moving in in the next few days, he added, stating that the aim was now to look to build more permanent developments.

Former Housing Minister Mr. DeVent said he was delighted the experimental homes, shipped from North America, were ready to open their doors to needy families.

Health Minister Patrice Minors said selection of tenants has been passed through the Cross Ministries Initiative Team (CMIT), a joint initiative between the Ministry of Health and Family Services, the Ministry of Works and Engineering and Housing and the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

She said that partnership ?strengthens the families and strengthens the community?. The intention was to get a roof over their heads and then move towards self-reliance ? and a permanent place to live.

Premier Alex Scott yesterday handed the keys to one of the units to Mrs. Minors and urged her to ?use them wisely?.

Mrs. Minors said the rent at the homes would be based on what the families could afford. ?Some are dealing with their own financial challenges,? she told reporters. ?Some have debts that have to be addressed.?

She said the aim was to help people with a range of social problems, including substance abuse, but stressed that these issues would be outlined in tenancy contracts residents had to stick to.

Mr. Scott said the mini-community was more than a housing solution, as the cross-ministry partnership would be working with the new residents to address other social challenges. ?I think this is a wonderful initiative,? he stated.took a tour of one of the deceptively spacious, smart new units, which had three bedrooms, a fitted kitchen and a bathroom featuring a jacuzzi bath.

Minister Burch said he was impressed with the accommodation: ?This is the standard we are going to try to aspire to for all our units.?

The eight prefabs will be placed at the gateway to Morgan?s Point, which remains out-of-bounds some ten years after the US military departed and left a legacy of a polluted environment. The new homes are on the border of the Railway Trail, not on the polluted land.