G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL 機密
21.
There was a common suggestion that the income limit should be raised from $3,500 a month to $4,000 so as to enable
people to apply for a self-owned flat. Others wondered how an income limit could ever be set logically at all, as families immediately above the line would always complain and press for it to be raised a bit higher.
22.
Others suggested that the flats could be of smaller size (less than 400 sq. ft.) to suit the requirement of small families in which case the price of the flat would also be lower.
23.
Some observers were not sure whether flats available
under the scheme would be in very hot demand for the following
reasons:
(a)
(b)
the flats were subject to conveyance restriction; the flats/buildings resemble public housing estates and middle class people dislike this idea of owning a flat in a 'low cost' estate for 'social' reasons;
the flats could not be let to other people for
monthly rentals;
(c)
(d)
(e)
the terms of payment of these flats are only slightly more favourable than in private buildings e.g. the period of 15 years to pay off the purchase price was also adopted in many local building companies; and
the flats were usually situated in remote areas such as Kwai Chung, Shatin, Chai Wan, Homantin being the exception.
Nevertheless, the majority of respondents saw the scheme as a very good thing and considered the conditions reasonable. There was therefore likely to be a very good response, provided that the price was not too high. They gathered that $100,000 per flat was probably the average price but would like to get more detailed
information.
24.
The scheme did not appear to have excited many public estates tenants; they knew that if they were allocated a flat, they would be required to give up their public housing unit which they now occupy as a matter of right.' On the other hand,/public housing tenants would enjoy priority in the home ownership scheme
/was
CONFIDENTIAL
機密
•
that