Many voters still do not know who leaked the BHC dossier, despite former PLP supporter Harold Darrell's admission that it was him. A recent survey by Research.bm found that 47% of registered voters who were certain, likely or possibly going...
The Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act 2007 is the most offensive piece of legislation that the PLP have passed in their time in office. The Act is supposed to crack down on “fronting”, the practice where a Bermudian buys...
The UBP have been critical of the Government’s recent legislation that purports to crack down on fronting, but actually discriminates against Bermudians married to non-Bermudians (I’ll talk more about this in a future post). But I hadn’t heard the UBP...
In case you missed last week’s open house at 21 Tee Street – the former home of convicted BHC fraudster Terrence Smith - you can see what he spent your tax money on here.
Housing Minister Lt. Col. David Burch, speaking about the use of Special Development Orders to short-circuit the planning process last week: “It is somewhat, I admit, an abuse of the system, but we are in a crisis and the crisis...
The use of a Special Development Order (SDO) to circumvent the normal planning process for the Loughlands development has been justified by the Government on the grounds that affordable housing is a matter of national importance. However, the new properties...
I have heard that the residents of the pre-fabricated emergency homes at Morgan's Point are being moved into hotels. Earlier this year, Housing Minister David Burch said that the pre-fabs could withstand winds of up to 140 mph, but that...
A news item in Sunday's Washington Post by John Pomfret caught my eye. Subtitled, “In San Francisco and Other Big Cities, Costs Drive Out Middle-Class Families”, the article describes housing cost and exodus issues similar to those facing Bermuda. One...
Last week the Fairmont Southampton Princess announced plans for a major redevelopment. 91 new "golf villas" will be built and made available for fractional purchase and vacation rental, while the existing golf course will lose half of its 18 holes...
The Government's policy banning Bermudians from selling their property to non-Bermudians was dealt a humiliating blow in Supreme Court on Friday. Puisne judge Geoffrey Bell found that the policy had breached the "legitimate expectations" of local developers Alan and Vera...
Slowhand asks: "Why do we not utilise what seems to be perfectly good land and buildings that have been vacant and left in the control of the Government, if not directly for housing, at least for purposes that would free...
Bill Cook is concerned about the impact of house prices on emigration: "A young couple or a single person taking up a loan of say $750,000, amortised over a period of 30 years, could end up paying $4,500 per month!...
I can't say I was that surprised by today's news that Ashfield DeVent is to be replaced as Minister of Works and Engineering and Housing by Lt. Col. David Burch. Mr. DeVent received the poison chalice from Terry Lister at...
Another chance to talk about a subject of your choice. First comment sets the topic for debate. As usual, if you ask a question, please provide your own thoughts on the subject too, even if it's in a subsequent comment....
Another chance to talk about a topic of your choice. First comment sets the subject for debate. If you ask a question, be sure to give your own thoughts too, even if it's in a subsequent comment. Update: Tiger Bay...
Opposition Senator Bob Richards was absolutely right to point out the insanity of three members of the Cabinet participating in the march for affordable housing earlier this week. The march was a protest against the government. Clearly, members of the...
On Tuesday 19 July, a group called Families United In Action is organising a march on the House of Assembly to protest the lack of affordable housing in Bermuda. The march starts at noon at Albuoy's Point. Everyone is encouraged...
Royal Gazette Opinion, Thursday 30 June 2005 At one of the recent public meetings on sustainable development, a member of the audience lamented the rapid pace of development in Bermuda. “Do you want to live in Hong Kong?” he asked....
Can't afford a home in Bermuda? Missed out in the recent Southside lottery? Then perhaps you might consider joining the Bermudian man who has entered another housing lottery - this one for a £270,000 house in Peterborough, England. Come on,...
I hear the Government is conducting a poll asking for our opinions on Bermuda's housing problem. I'm sure they'd like as much feedback as possible, so here are my answers to some of the questions they're supposedly asking: How serious...
I can’t quite decide what to make of the legislation introduced by the Government last week which bans Bermudians from selling property to non-Bermudians for the next five years. I’ve always thought it odd that an Island with such limited...
One of the reasons often given for spiralling rents in Bermuda – and it was mentioned again in Friday’s editorial in the Mid Ocean News – is the housing allowances that some expatriate workers are given by their employers. An...
Which came first: Bermuda's housing shortage or its high divorce rate? Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent and Senator Bob Richards think the divorce rate is exacerbating the housing problem. Peter Carey (program director of The Family Centre) and Althea Iris (president...
I've just discovered where Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent is planning to put the portable homes he recently announced he was bringing in to accommodate Bermuda's homeless. Kindley Field Road.
After congratulating myself for not being on holiday when Renee Webb resigned, it turned out that I was away when an even bigger story broke: the closure of the two-year investigation into the BHC scandal. It seems incredible that one...
Renee Webb’s resignation may have dominated the news last week, but that didn’t stop the issue of affordable housing muscling its way back onto the agenda. The week began with an interesting forum on the subject at the BIU on...
Anyone interested in learning more about Bermuda's housing situation is reminded of the forum at the BIU this evening. Former BHC General Manager Raymonde Dill will look at the nature of the demand for housing, director of real-estate firm The...
No one likes to be called a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) when it comes to Bermuda’s housing crisis. There’s widespread acceptance that more homes need to be built if there’s to be any hope of reducing the crushing...
Reading the reports on the housing debate that took place in the House of Assembly on Friday, I was amazed to read this statement from Housing Minister Ashfield de Vent: "Governments do not solve housing problems... and a report does...
Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent was musing about possible solutions to the housing crisis on VSB radio news this evening. Apparently now he's considering building on arable and forest land. I firmly believe that in addition to measures it might take...
Economist and Bermuda College lecturer Craig Simmons is calling for the Government to start offering mortgage loans to Bermudians to help them buy their own homes. The idea of Government getting into a business usually left to the banks would...
The more new Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent opens his mouth, the more I worry that the PLP have no ideas whatsoever for tackling Bermuda's affordable housing crisis. The problem was in the news again yesterday following the announcement that a...
Those struggling to get a foot on the property ladder in London right now should be grateful that they're not living in Bermuda. According to a recent article in the London Evening Standard, the average price of a home in...
The recent love-in between Premier Alex Scott and Sir John Swan took on a sudden intimacy yesterday when the pair were stuck in an elevator during the opening of Sir John's new Atlantis apartment complex. With them were seven other...
Anyone still puzzled by ex-Premier Sir John Swan's recent criticism of his former party, the UBP, and the praise he lavished on the PLP may find explanation in a small story in the Bermuda Sun today. Since resigning as Premier...
Bermuda already has more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world. So will someone please explain to me why Renee Webb wants to build another one at Morgan's Point? Especially when the Island has such a...
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