SIR LESLIE MONSON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG
APRIL 1972
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Brief No7
SOCIAL SERVICES: HOUSING
1.
Despite spectacular achievements in the field of housing
and resettlement the Hong Kong Government still face the for-
midable problems of satisfactorily rehousing the squatter
population and of refurbishing many of the older estates.
2. HK$192 million has been provided for housing in this year's budget (HK$1 million less than last year). During the
debate on the budget two Unofficial Members referred to the
need for more housing. Another Member called for a review of
policy on the resettlement of squatters. He claimed that
there were now 270,000 squatters in the New Territories and
that in the past 5 years only 6 per cent of the total number resettled were from the New Territories.
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3. In his reply the Commissioner for Resettlement said that
preliminary proposals for modernising the older estates at a cost of HK$700 million had been drawn up and that a start would be made in the Shek Kip Mei estate containing 60,000 people. 4. In reply to the criticism that squatters were only moved when the land was needed for development the Commissioner drew attention to the fact that since 1964 184,000 squatters had been resettled from land not required for development.
5. On the Governor's instructions the Housing Authority are now reviewing their plans for the next few years.
Hong Kong Department April 1972