Fast tracked building of rental units and getting empty homes back in use are at the core of Ewart Brown's plans on housing.

He said Bermuda had 300 abandoned homes and urgent action would be taken to bring them back on line.

Although not a new policy he said: "What's new about it is when you start seeing homes demolished and homes going up on the spot."

Often housing is left to rot because of an ownership dispute between family members.

Dr. Brown said: "We will solve it. If we have to change the law that's what we will do. We are law makers."

He pledged to get the best legal and financial minds on the case to put the homes back in the hands of deserving families.

And more needed to be done to encourage home ownership said Dr. Brown who said he would work with the private sector to come up with innovative ways to finance home buying.