A total of 21 new affordable homes have been completed at Loughlands – just in time for Christmas.

For Edwina Callender, who despaired of ever affording her own house in Bermuda, it was the best present possible.

"I'm feeling very elated, I'm just so happy that Government has afforded us this opportunity," said the 54-year-old Immigration officer after accepting the keys to her two-bedroom townhouse from Housing Minister David Burch.

The $470,000 property has allowed her and husband Victor Callender to finally move out of their rented one-bedroom apartment in Southampton.

Mrs. Callender explained that during a previous marriage, she'd lived in her mother-in-law's house with her husband.

After they divorced, she had to move into rented accommodation and did not think she would be able to re-enter the market again until Loughlands came to her aid.

"I was saving. I saved and saved but I said to my (current) husband that I didn't think we would ever be about to afford a Bermuda home," she explained. "This is just in time for Christmas, and just being here is a celebration."

Speaking at yesterday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sen. Burch said he was happy to see the smiles on the faces of the new owners.

"In this job there are oftentimes challenges. This is not one of them. Handing over the keys to 21 homeowners is one of the highlights," he noted.

He praised the new neighbours for displaying an old-fashioned willingness to get to know each other, which he hoped would serve as a template for elsewhere in Bermuda.

Defending himself against what he described as criticism for focusing housing efforts on "the middle class", Sen. Burch said the new residents were leaving rental properties open for others in a market showing signs of "a tremendous softening".

The result, he said, would be more affordable homes for purchase and rent by others.

A total of 42 homes have now been completed at Loughlands in South Road, Paget, in the first two stages of a four-phase building programme.

An additional 54 are still in the pipeline, with work said to be continuing on schedule despite Government spending cutbacks elsewhere due to the present economic climate.

Sen. Burch thanked developer Gilbert Lopes for his part in accomplishing the multi-million dollar project.