Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent said the Bermuda Housing Corporation had done its best to relocate the residents of Anchorage Road but had not been able to meet all of their requests.

Delivering his statement in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr. DeVent said the Anchorage Road facilities are old and dilapidated and, in some cases, unsafe for inhabitation. The evacuation of the St. George?s apartments has been a contentious issue with the Government following last week?s session of Parliament when Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons claimed a Minister?s father was given preferential treatment and was offered a comfortable apartment at Ferguson Park.

Yesterday, Mr. DeVent said despite the publicity surrounding the move, in August this year all of the residents received a letter advising them that the renovations will be starting in the near future. ?

On October 15, he said three of the 11 families were moved. Since that date, two families have been relocated with the balance of the moves occurring in December. Three of the remaining moves were scheduled to take place before Christmas and two of these have already been delayed until after the holiday at the requests of the head of the households.

?One of the residents has declined two properties without even viewing them because of the location. Actual construction is scheduled to begin on January 15, 2005, and any of the remaining residents that decline the alternate accommodations offered by the Corporation may find themselves beyond the Corporation?s ability to assist them,? Mr. DeVent said.

Evacuation proceedings are underway, said Mr. DeVent and one resident owes $6,200. Three more of the remaining residents, including the aforementioned resident that has declined two properties, have arrears ranging from $2,720-4,485, he added.

Mr. DeVent said the young father who claimed in last week?s newspaper that the BHC is splitting families up is not ?telling the full story as to why he has been offered alternate housing separate and apart from his girlfriend and children?.

He added that all of the moves were fair and based on established and fair procedures. ?All of the accommodations offered are of good standard,? he said. ?Some are far superior to the standards at Anchorage Road with several being located in facilities that were constructed as recent as 2001.?

The BHC has also helped residents move ? with assisted trucking and with all facilities that need rewiring such as electricity, telephone and cable.

Mr. DeVent said, if the project is delayed, the cost to the taxpayer could be substantial.

The difference between the high and the accepted bids for the Anchorage Road project is approximately $2.2 million,? he said.