Housing Minister Sen. David Burch last night admitted he was ?short-circuiting? the planning process through the use of controversial special development orders.

But the Minister was unrepentant about the ?abuse of the system?, saying the need to ease the housing crisis demanded it.

Speaking in St. George?s at a public meeting on housing, Sen. Burch also revealed Government is exploring the idea of people buying ?homes for life? at a reduced rate, which would return to the housing pool after the owner?s death.

He told the 130-strong audience at East End Primary School, that a project at Southside has seen the Bermuda Land Development Company join forces in a public/private partnership with Trinity Construction to build 50 two- and three-bedroom properties.

This project, he said, was ?very much in the early stages?.

He said he anticipated criticism because the project will be subject to a Special Development Order. But he said he wished to accelerate the project and ?short-circuit the planning process?.

He added: ?It is somewhat, I admit, an abuse of the system, but we are in a crisis and the crisis somewhat demands some abuse ? some massaging ? of the process.?

Sen. Burch has been criticised for getting a SDO from the Environment Ministry to build 96 homes at the former Loughlands guest house in Paget. Opponents of the plan say past precedent has been broken because the order was granted without any supporting plans being provided and without public input.

Sen. Burch explained that the ?life interest basis? sale initiative might be put into effect at the 16-unit Anchorage development, which is currently underway in St. George.

He said the plan aimed to appeal to those who did not want to leave their property in a will, and pointed to those who are unmarried and do not intend to have children ? using himself as an example.

?We are looking at (selling homes on) a ?life interest basis? so Government doesn?t lose the stock. What we will end up with is a price which is cheaper, and at the end of life it comes back to Government,? he said.

The Anchorage development is nearing completion, although running late, according to the Minister.

He had, he said, hoped to be in a position to announce new developments for each part of the Island during the public meetings.

?I?m not in that position tonight because not all of my ducks are in a row. I can tell you it?s not in St. George?s Parish but it?s in the East End. It?s a major development if it should come to fruition,? said the Minister, who alluded to a ?significant? number of units for sale or rent.

?As soon as we have signed a document that ties us into things, that announcement will be made,? he pledged.

However, he gave a rundown on the status of other housing developments in the East End.

Out of 11 renovated cottages in Southside, he said, six had been sold with five left on offer at ?slightly below the market rate?.

The remaining cottages vary from $700,000 to $1.2 million and the proceeds of sale will be put toward the $10.5 million needed to subsidise the Harbour Village project in Southside.

The 110 units being built at this location, he said, were in the detailed design stage and he anticipated ground would be broken by the end of the year.

He said that the issue of families being separated because the emergency housing shelter in Southside for women and children does not take teenage boys or husbands was being examined.

?We are taking steps to address that,? he said.

He also revealed that a total of 500 people had put their names down for the 96 homes being developed at the Loughlands site.

Sen. Burch said that what he described as the ?real estate cartel? on the Island would react to the affordable housing projects underway by bringing down prices.

?People are going to be prepared to take half a loaf rather than the one-and-a-half loaves at the moment,? he said.

One woman in the audience made an emotional appeal to the Minster to address her own personal housing crisis ? and to stop ?trying to please? expatriates who ?don?t care about us?.

The woman, who did not give her name, said she lived in ?a dump? for which she was paying $2,250 per month.

?I?m stressed and I?m skinny,? she told the Minister. ?You need to show me that you care about me.?She explained that she longed for an affordable rent and stability for her children.

Sen. Burch responded: ?We will do everything in our power to help you,? and promised to arrange a personal meeting with her.

Former Senator and current Deputy Mayor of St. George?s Kenneth Bascome asked whether the Government had considered using the dorm at the former Club Med site as emergency housing while future development is pending. He pointed out that around 50 homeless people are living there at the moment.

The Minister answered that it had, but there were challenges since a hotel development was being negotiated for the property.

He added that he expected ?some movement? on this issue in the next fortnight.

He added that in relation to housing in Hamilton for single people, a replacement for the emergency housing shelter in North Street, Hamilton, would be conducted in two stages with ground broken ?in the second quarter of next year?.

Asked if he planned any more pre-fabricated homes such as those at Morgan?s Point, Sen. Burch replied ?absolutely not?.

He explained that he would rather focus on permanent dwellings, and said that although the units had not moved during Hurricane Florence earlier this month ?several of the panels came off?.

However, he stressed that he was not criticising the decision of the previous Minister who had given the green-light to the project.