If Government gives him the land, Wayne Furbert will build 200 affordable homes at Tudor Hill, the Shadow Housing Minister declared yesterday.

"I could find a contractor today who would do it for $150-$175 a square foot," he said. Utilising the duty relief on materials that Government put in place allowing projects such as the Bermuda Homes for People project at Southside to go ahead, as well a similar donation from Government in the form of land at Tudor Hill, Southampton, Mr. Furbert estimated the two-bedroom homes could retail for around $175,000.

He also called on Government yesterday to table contracts and proof of financing for some of the housing developments announced by Minister Ashfield DeVent during the Budget debate on Housing on Monday.

The Minister announced in detail plans to build various housing developments which will result in more than 240 units built over the next five years or so. Some of the plans were still at the conceptual stage, he said, however others had financing in place with contracts already tendered.

Mr. DeVent also announced the creation of a committee tasked with outlining a Five-Year Master Plan on Housing.

"The Minister has my full co-operation and support in building these houses," Mr. Furbert said yesterday.

His concern, however, in light of the PLP's track record over the past seven years on promised housing developments and the delivery of such developments, was that such statements produce false hope. "Is this a false or a real hope?"

Government could prove their sincerity by laying before Parliament the contracts and proof of the financing, he said, challenging Minister DeVent to do so before the Budget debate concludes in two weeks.

Mr. DeVent said on Monday that a project building six units on Ewing Street has been tendered and a contractor selected, though the contract remains to be finalised. A Battery Road, St. David's three-unit development was to be put out to tender with Planning permission and a building permit already received; while a Perimeter Lane, Pembroke project creating 38 units was awaiting Planning approval. The Minister also said that plans 22 units at Mary Victoria and Alexandra Roads will be submitted to Planning in the "very near future". Most further projects were at the conceptual phase, he said.

Submitting the contracts and proof of financing for the Perimeter Lane and Mary Victoria and Alexandra Road projects in particular would go a long way to giving Bermudians a real sense of hope, Mr. Furbert said. He challenged Government to also meet with himself and the contractor he had in mind about building the homes at Tudor Hill. "The UBP will work out a deal to get it done."

Until then, he added, "we need to find temporary houses.

"I am pleading with Bermudians who have a unit available, a hole in the Rock, to call me and let's see how we can get some temporary relief until Government comes through.

"I am willing to work with Government, I'll take a shovel to the ground if need be."

*Echoing his colleague's sentiments, Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell highlighted a four-point plan for Tudor Hill in the House last night which he called an "effective, practical and relatively painless" solution for the housing crisis.

With Government providing the land and allowing the necessary materials to be brought in duty free, as well as a reduction in payroll tax for the required labour, a large number of small construction businesses could be "empowered" to build well over 200 new low-cost homes in a relatively short period of time.

The project would be akin to the construction of Cedarbridge Academy, he said, in which 180 small firms were employed.

"This is a process which could be set in motion tomorrow," he said.

"If the Government was prepared to take such action now, we could then approach the banks and arrange for preferential financing and get on with urgent task of providing affordable homes to first-time buyers."