The waiting list for rental units at the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) has skyrocketed to over 1,000 names, can reveal.

BHC general manager Vance Campbell said there are approximately 970 names on the regular waiting list and another 106 on the emergency housing list.

But despite the long list of prospective tenants, Mr. Campbell encouraged people in need housing from the quango to get on the waiting list now as, if they do not, they may never get a rental.

BHC is working hard at finding units, however.

?We have plans being developed to provide accommodation, we are working on announcing those in the near future,? Mr. Campbell said.

He was reluctant to share specific information about the corporation?s plans, however.

?We are working on some things in partnership with the private sector for rental and sale ? but I don?t want to talk about it before things are signed or agreed.?

There are plans to redevelop the BHC site at Anchorage and sell it to a different market, he added.

?We do have an ever-increasing and broadening market base that we target. We?re not just here for the lower income bracket.?

But development is a slow process.

?It could be a year and a half to two years before building is completed,? Mr. Campbell said.?

?There are restrictions, such as finding land. We have a lot of land, but it?s not all zoned appropriately.

?We have to strike a balance between open space and the development needs of the country. And it?s not just us that have to do that.?

Bringing in more units from the private sector might be one way of speeding up the process.

?Our emphasis is on providing rentals for clients,? Mr. Campbell said. ?But we?re not neglecting the fact that people want to be homeowners.?

The difference between the rental and the emergency lists is one of ?wishes as opposed to need?, Mr. Campbell explained.

For instance, a couple who want to move from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom with their new baby would be on the rental waiting list, whereas a family whose home has been destroyed by fire would be on the emergency list.