Health and Family Services Minister Nelson Bascome yesterday launched Government's campaign to provide affordable housing by announcing the appointment of 27 health, housing and social services boards.

Mr. Bascome said his new team of trustees is already locating sites on which cheaper homes for seniors can be built.

And he added the Ministry was also looking at designs submitted by contractors for houses that would be cheaper to build.

The boards, gazetted yesterday, include the Bermuda Hospitals Board, the Bermuda Medical Council, the Bermuda Housing Corporation Board and the Bermuda Housing Trust.

At a Press conference yesterday, Mr. Bascome said: "This is the International Year of the Older Person. We have identified property on which the Bermuda Housing Trust wishes to develop seniors' land.

"The Bermuda Land Development Corporation has identified properties and there are some other properties, for example in Warwick, that have been identified.

"A few contractors have come to me and they have new designs which should bring down the cost of rentals.'' The Bermuda Housing Trust has signed a 125-year lease with the Bermuda Land Development Company on a two acre site at Southside. Another lease agreement for a three-acre site on the property is expected to be signed shortly.

Rodney Ferguson is maintained as head of the Bermuda Housing Trust, the organisation responsible for housing senior residents, while Larry Burchall has been appointed Designate Chair.

Mr. Bascome said it was important to keep some former board members involved as certain projects developed before the General Election were still ongoing.

But he also said that he personally made a number of selections for the 27 boards.

"There are a number of new faces on the boards because I'm going to be working with people I'm familiar with,'' he said. "I looked at the names on the boards and they were names I was not familiar with. I have selected people who I know have administrative abilities and who can help.'' HOUSING HSG GOVERNMENT GVT