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Waking this morning to the radio I heard a pleasant advertisement by the Bank of Butterfield convincing me that I could own my own home for only a five per cent down payment on a mortgage.

This was then followed up with a news story of homeless single mothers being charged $25 a week by local gangs to not be harassed while living in the abandoned Club Med in St. George’s.

I find it amazing that when the average income hovers around forty thousand a year, that the down payment can amount to more then a year’s income without even considering bills. It’s great that we’re being offered such a deal, just who’s going to give us a mortgage on the down payment?

Housing has become such a problem that many cannot afford even low-end rents at the expense of growing demand and lack of supply.

Last week Col. Burch was quoted while touring around the new seniors housing solution that he needs more construction sites to go to. I’d like to help him get out to more construction sites and to better the lives of our people, so here is a free idea for you Mr. Burch:

The Housing Crisis Action Plan

1. Revise the cathedral limit in Hamilton to allow for buildings to go higher the further back into town you go from the cathedral (for example: for each block to the north of the cathedral, you can go one storey or two higher).

Benefits:

Rejuvenates the back of town;

Retains the look of Front Street;

Allows for buildings going back to still have views of the harbour from the upper floors.

2. Rent cruise ships or similar to house foreign labour to build affordable apartment buildings catering to this new height.

Requirements:

Negotiate with the Union that this project will be done at cost or at a loss and is for the benefit of Bermudians as a whole;

Wave all duty on materials for the project;

Hire foreign contractors to cut costs but require them to partner with local entrepreneurial firms to train Bermudians.

Benefits:

Foreign labour can work 24/7 to get these projects running quickly;

Paying and housing foreign labour means we can drop the square footage costs by not having to pay exorbitant rents to house these individuals;

Building affordable apartment buildings in town will mean more ex-pats can live in town and less can take up our homes via house shares. It will also provide a reasonable starting ground for young Bermudians to save money.

There will certainly be some who suggest they don’t want more supply on the market, as it would affect the value of their homes, and potentially drop their income from rent. To them, I ask: Where will our youth, our elders, and our single parents live, those who have no investments and those who don’t want to be driven from a home in Bermuda.

There will be others who suggest they don’t want more foreigners on our island. To them I ask: What temporary solution are you proposing to solve our problems? There seems to be a lot of talk about what people don’t want and so little about what can be done and equally little action is being taken.

This is my plan, but I’m not the Minister of Housing, Works and Engineering. To Colonel Burch, it is you who is. So make with a plan or use this one. Either way, as my granny would tell me — get crackin’!

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