WAH KIU MAN PO said: "If the huge deficit facing the Housing Authority is to be covered entirely by publi: revenue, funds for public projects and social welfare now enjoyed by the people may have to be used for this purpose. If this were done, it would be unfair to four-fifths of the population not living in this type of public housing estates."
The paper felt that it was reasonable to raise estate rents to an appropriate level and suggested the authorities publish the budget of the Housing Authority to make the people understand its financial situa ion.
The Communist HONG KONG EVENING NEWS (October 6) and HONG KONG COMMERCIAL DAILY (October 8) expressed fear that a rise in estate rents would lead to a series of price increases.
HONG KONG EVENING NEWS said it hoped the Government would reconsider the proposal and if rents must be raised, the increases should be just enough to cover costs and should not result in huge profits.
In another editorial (October 11), HONG KONG COMMERCIAL DAILY commented on rent increases for shops in Group B estates and said the huge increases would force shop owners to go out of business.
HONG KONG DAILY NEWS (October 12) welcomed a report that the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, had cecided to reduce by half the proposed 50-per-cent rent increase for public housing estates.
The paper hoped that the Government would offer assistance to residents who could not afford the higher rents and would at the same time review the present system to ensure that well-off residents were no longer allowed to stay in estate flats.
Three papers, ORIENTAL DAILY (October 6), NAM WAH MAN PAO (October 7) and WAH KIU MAN PO (October 10) urged the Government to review the eligibility of residents now living in public housing estates.
ORIENTAL DAILY said it was disappointed that the authorities had failed to draw
up a plan in evicting estate residents who had become flat owners.
NAM WAH MAN PAO said it was unfair that eligible applicants were not allowed to enjoy public housing while the better-off residents in the estates were allowed to continue staying in their flats.