HAMILTON, Bermuda — Government plans for nine factory-built homes on Boaz Island in Sandys met resistance from residents at a town hall meeting on 16 December 2025, The Royal Gazette reported.
The pilot would place nine units of about 390 sq ft, seven one-bedroom and two larger one-bedroom homes, on a 0.64-acre government-owned lot, according to a presentation by the Bermuda Housing Corporation. Housing and Municipalities Minister Zane DeSilva, Permanent Secretary Andrew Pettit and Bermuda Housing Corporation project manager Keino Furbert-Jacobs presented the plans. Officials said the units had passed wind-tunnel tests at up to 150 mph and that the 12- to 18-month pilot would test whether modular construction can speed up affordable housing delivery.
Residents questioned the homes’ exposure to hurricanes, the possible effect on property values and density in an area they said was already crowded. The Royal Gazette reported that 748 people were on the public housing waiting list, including 134 people in 57 households classed as in critical need.
What it means
Analysis: The pilot is a test case for whether factory-built homes can be delivered faster and cheaper than conventional construction on an island where land and labour are expensive. The objections raised at Boaz Island show that neighbourhood acceptance, not just technology, will decide how quickly such schemes scale.
Editor’s note: This article was added to the Jamaica Homes News archive on 30 September 2026. It reports events from December 2025 and is dated to when they were reported.
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