Mr. Speaker,
I rise today to table the Bermuda Affordable Housing Strategy 2025-2035, the Government's ten-year roadmap for improving housing affordability, accessibility and opportunity in Bermuda. At its heart, this Strategy is about people. It is about helping Bermudians find, keep and afford a suitable place to call home, and ensuring that future generations have a fair opportunity to live, work and build their lives in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, the Strategy is built around three strategic pillars: government-led affordable housing delivery; the rehabilitation of derelict properties; and the reactivation of underutilised housing stock. Together, these pillars provide a practical framework for increasing housing opportunities and improving affordable housing outcomes for Bermuda's residents.
Mr. Speaker, addressing Bermuda's housing challenges will require a collective effort. Government has an important leadership role to play, but lasting progress will depend on collaboration with the private sector, community organisations, industry stakeholders and the wider public. Housing affects every sector of our economy and every community across our Island.
It was for this reason, Mr. Speaker, that the consultation draft of the Strategy was released for public review and comment. The draft was published on the Bermuda Citizen's Forum and circulated to key stakeholders, who were invited to provide feedback, recommendations and ideas to strengthen the document.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry engaged with a range of stakeholders and received valuable written submissions and feedback. The consultation process highlighted both the scale of Bermuda's housing challenges and the strong desire across our community to work together to address them.
The consultation also identified a number of recurring themes, including the need to increase housing supply, improve affordability, unlock existing housing stock, encourage innovation in housing delivery, strengthen accountability, and create greater opportunities for partnership between Government and the private sector.
Mr. Speaker, the final Strategy has been revised to reflect the feedback received. In particular, it places greater emphasis on public-private partnerships, workforce and middle-income housing, affordability and accessibility measures, and improved housing intelligence and accountability. Mr. Speaker, before concluding, I wish to address a point that Honourable Members may observe when reviewing the document.
Mr. Speaker, the Strategy is titled the Bermuda Affordable Housing Strategy 2025-2035. That date reflects the fact that this work did not begin today, nor did it begin this year. The foundations of the Strategy were established in 2025 through research, analysis and stakeholder engagement, when it became increasingly clear that Bermuda's housing challenges demanded more than discussion alone. They required both a strategy and action.
While the document evolved through consultation, discussion and refinement, resulting in the Strategy that is being tabled today, the team at Housing and Municipalities was already hard at work putting pieces of the solution in place. We recognised that Bermudians could not afford to wait for a final document before progress began.
The title reflects that journey, acknowledging both the development of the Strategy itself and the practical steps that have been taken along the way to improve housing outcomes for Bermudians.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of our former PS Andrew Pettit, who initiated this work, together with the dedicated officers of the Ministry who carried it forward and brought it to completion. Housing policy is complex, and meaningful progress requires persistence and commitment. I am proud of what this small but mighty team has achieved in developing a Strategy that will help guide Bermuda's housing efforts over the next decade.
Mr. Speaker, housing is more than a policy issue. It affects families, young people trying to build a future, seniors wishing to age in place, and employers seeking to attract and retain workers. This Strategy provides a long-term framework for action and a foundation upon which Government and its partners can continue building practical solutions to Bermuda's housing challenges.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table the Bermuda Affordable Housing Strategy 2025-2035 in this Honourable House today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
