Shadow Finance Minister Dr. Grant Gibbons yesterday criticised comments made by outgoing Bermuda Housing Corporation Chairman Larry Burchall concerning the recycling of derelict homes.

Dr. Gibbons conceded that the Island's housing situation was a real problem and said: "I think all of us at the United Bermuda Party and Progressive Labour Party recognise that we have to house our people.'' He said: "The point is that there is a fair amount of political rewriting of history which I think is very irresponsible, and if I can accuse Government of anything, they haven't moved fast or efficiently enough to get on with providing enough affordable housing.'' And he pointed to the three-part "Keys to Partnership'' programme set out by ex-Housing Minister Wayne Furbert as evidence of the UBP's commitment to solving the housing problem.

Dr. Gibbons said the first priority they had set out was to identify derelict housing that was not used. He said houses would be taken over, in co-operation with the landlord, to provide interim housing for tenants.

"To say that this is a new direction in reference to the renovation of derelict housing is sheer nonsense.'' said Dr. Gibbons Also on the UBP's agenda was a commitment to renovating the three bedroom stone houses at Southside and bring them up to the standard of Bermuda houses.

Dr. Gibbons said the original plans were to make the homes available on a leasehold basis to Bermudian buyers, freeing up rental units in the process.

The former Government also intended to build 100 new units that were going to be dispersed around the Island rather than clustered in St. David's.

The current Government is also committed to the 100 homes project.

Dr. Gibbons also criticised comments that implied the former Government was not concerned about people, but was more interested in managing assets and money.

"The former Government was very concerned about people and good management to get the maximum out of the budget and house as many families as possible. To make such a statement is completely irresponsible,'' said Dr. Gibbons.

He went on to raise concerns over the initiative to have seniors' pensions used to subsidise housing, calling it a "reprehensible'' scheme.

He said many seniors had financial concerns of their own, and trying the scheme with seniors' pensions was simply unacceptable.

"Also it is important to realise that during the previous administration, between 70 and 80 million dollars in funds was made available to first time home owners, and much progress was made,'' said Dr. Gibbons.

And he said it was unfortunate that the current Government had not made the kind of progress that they made before the last election.

Dr. Gibbons added: "If Mr. Burchall is looking for funds for assisting in financing, then he clearly needs to look at the $25 million being spent on fast ferries.'' The Quarterly Information Bulletin on Housing released in January, 1999, just a few months after the PLP election victory, stated: "The Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) is currently undertaking a project to identify houses that are vacant, derelict, unfinished, and/or in need of renovations, and which could be brought back into the housing stock and made available for rental.'' The purpose of the project was to improve the quality of housing throughout Bermuda and add units to the housing stock.

The January, 1999, bulletin reported that six units were to be added to the Private Sector Rental Programme (PSRP) by the end of April of the same year, and 29 units were to be added by the end of July.

Twenty eight units were to be added by the end of January, 2000, and discussions were ongoing with the owners of 54 units.

This initiative was started by the former Government confirming that recycling derelict and vacant homes was a project of some duration.

The PSRP has continued to be successful and the Bermuda Housing Corporation annual report for 2000 stated that at the end of 1999 there were 63 units in the portfolio, and this had risen to 85 by the end of March, 2000.

The report continued: "Our vacant and derelict programme will continue to be our main source of rental units for the foreseeable future. Recycling properties which are vacant and derelict remains an important part of the strategy of the Corporation to provide additional rental units on an Island where clearly available land mass is limited.'' The report warned however that the programme would not provide sufficient units as quickly as the Corporation's major building programme, but should provide a pool of properties to draw from in the future.

Grant Gibbons