St. David's Islanders have accused the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) of keeping them in the dark over controversial plans for 20 new low-cost houses at Southside.

At a heated public meeting on Tuesday night, residents complained of a lack of consultation and asked why one-fifth of BHC's planned 100 new affordable houses were being built in St. David's.

Residents last month said they feared St. David's was becoming a "dumping ground'' for low income families.

As BHC chairman Raymonde Dill unveiled the detailed plans for the first time, residents said they had no idea whether the housing had been approved or whether there was still time to alter the project.

Mr. Dill said the application was given agreement in principle, but not detailed planning permission and the BHC would try to take on board the residents' views.

Concern was also expressed that drug addicts and other "undesirables'' would be housed at the new development on Texas Road, next to Clearwater School But Housing Minister Nelson Bascome, who attended the meeting with Bermuda Land Development Company chief executive George Smith and St. George's South Progressive Labour Party MPs Rev. Wilbur Lowe and Arthur Pitcher, told the residents "we are all our brother's keeper''.

He said it would be "turning our backs on our fellow man'' if the community did not accept rehabilitated Bermudians.

Mr. Dill told the meeting at St. David's Seventh Day Adventist Church that the BHC had an immediate need for 150 houses for low income families.

Around 50 could be provided by renovating old or derelict properties but a hundred more would have to be built in the next 15 months.

Resident Andrea Minors said she was concerned about drugs. "What kind of people are you bringing down here?'' she asked.

"There's a lot of history here and you can't just bring something here and copper coat it to make it look nice. We're not stupid. If you think St.

David's Islanders are stupid, you've got another thing coming.'' Mr. Pitcher, who has won the contract to build the houses, replied: "I've asked that these houses be first offered to St. David's people. I don't want everyone and anyone in here.

"I've told the Minister not to send down people who are going to bring our quality of housing down.'' United Bermuda Party Senator Kim Swan, who lives in St. George's, said the development was a "fait accompli'' which had been sprung on the residents.

He said the UBP supported building 100 low cost houses and assumed they would be evenly spread among all of the Island's 20 constituencies.

Angry over low-cost housing He told the meeting: "It is unfortunate the people of St. David's are having to field 20 percent of this. It is a tremendous sociological burden which is why people are up in arms.

"When building a community, you can't afford to put people into a hostile situation. We need to have a dialogue.

"The housing problem is a Bermuda problem, not a St. George's or a St.

David's or a Hamilton problem, and we need to spread the burden around.'' After the meeting, he said: "There was a violation of trust between the elected Members of Parliament and the constituents.

"The feeling of the meeting was that it was a fait accompli and they had been left in the dark and that's the travesty.

"People will try to put a spin on it to put the people of St. David's on the defensive, but the people who should be on the defensive are those who caused a major sociological shift of people into the community by withholding information until after the 12th hour who are now trying to stop a major blow-up from occurring.'' Resident Dot Foley told the meeting: "You are bringing to us a new development which has agreement in principle. It would have been an excellent idea to bring in local people during the preliminary decisions.

"To go in and say we are going to develop it despite what the community says leaves a lot to be desired.'' Mr. Bascome told the meeting he empathised with the people, but the whole community had a responsibility to help one another.

"I live in Pembroke and we've accepted people's trash for years. That was forced upon us. Tonight you have the right to voice opinions but many Bermudians never had that opportunity before.

"You talk about drug addicts, but when you talk about rehabilitated Bermudians, when you won't accept them, you are turning your backs on our fellow man. We are in a small community and we have always been our brother's keeper.''