By Senator Lauren Hayward Bell, Junior Minister of Housing & Municipalities

Bermuda’s housing crisis is one of the most urgent challenges facing our people. Across the Island, families, seniors, and young Bermudians continue to struggle to find safe, affordable places to live. In the private rental market, affordable options remain scarce and the pace of new construction has slowed. A decade ago, Bermuda was adding nearly two hundred and ninety (290) homes a year to the housing stock. That number has now dropped to just seventy-five (75).

That is why the Government’s work at Battery Park is so important; it shows what real, practical progress looks like.

Battery Park began as a commitment to transform underused land in St. David’s into modern, affordable homes for those who need them most. Phase One delivered four (4) new units and major infrastructure upgrades, including an 82,000-gallon water tank to support long-term sustainability. Families have already moved into these units, and their lives are more stable as a result.

Phase Two is now underway, bringing an additional twelve (12) homes including six (6) studios, two (2) one-bedrooms units, and four (4) two-bedrooms units. Supported by a $3.75 million investment, these units will be offered to Bermudians on the Bermuda Housing Corporation’s waitlist, ensuring help reaches those facing the greatest need.

Facing the Crisis, Delivering Solutions

But Battery Park is not an isolated initiative; it is only one part of a much larger, coordinated plan to expand affordable housing across Bermuda.

Through the Residential Building Programme, more than sixty (60) new affordable homes will come online by mid-2026. At the same time, modular housing units are being deployed to provide rapid relief for families in critical need and work is progressing under the Private Sector Refurbishment Programme. In addition, planning is currently on track for the next phase of development, expected to deliver more than two hundred (200) additional units.

Through these projects, the Government will be introducing new construction methods to reduce costs and timelines.

All of this work is guided by the Government’s Affordable Housing Strategy (2025–2035), a long-term plan to close Bermuda’s housing gap and modernize how we deliver quality, accessible homes. This strategy recognizes a fundamental truth. While each individual project matters, it is the collective effort including the steady expansion of supply, the modernization of infrastructure and the revitalization of existing inventory that will reshape our housing landscape for years to come.

Building a Fairer Future, One Home at a Time

Housing is about more than walls and roofs. It is about dignity, security, and opportunity. Every renovated unit, every new key handed over represents a step toward a Bermuda where every person has a safe place to call home.

Battery Park is not just a project.
It is progress.
It is a promise kept.
It symbolizes this Government’s commitment to her people.
It is part of a coordinated, strategic, and people-focused housing plan that is delivering for Bermudians today while building the foundations of a fairer tomorrow and more secure Bermuda for all.