THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TO BOAT DWELLERS' REQUESTS FOR REHOUSING
3. It is not true that the Government have ignored boat
dwellers' requests to be rehoused. 80,000 boat people have been
rehoused since 1960. The main reason why more boat dwellers
have not been rehoused sooner is that they have not applied:
until the Housing Department conducted a campaign in mid-1978
to encourage boat people to apply, only half of the boat
dwellers had applied for public housing.
THE TREATMENT OF BOAT DWELLERS COMPARED WITH LAND-BASED SQUATTERS
4. There is no truth in the accusation that priority is given
to land-based squatters so that the Government can profit from
the sale of the land from which they are cleared. With land so
scarce it is inevitable that land should be cleared for develop-
ment, and the Government accept that alternative housing must be
provided for any squatters whose temporary dwellings are
displaced in this way. But controls are applied to prevent this
being used as a means of jumping the queue for public housing.
THE TYPHOON SHELTERS
5. As the name implies, these are intended to provide sheltered
anchorages for fishing vessels and other small craft during
typhoons. They are not intended for permanent occupation by
boat dwellers. As boat dwellers are resettled ashore, the
Government try to control the arrival of new boat dwellers to
take their place in the typhoon shelters.
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