-2-
c) Hong Kong land dwellers who have resorted to boats
a cheap form of accommodation.
The policy of the Hong Kong Government towards the boat squatters is exactly the same as towards land squatters: to allow them to stay where they are until they can be moved into suitable public housing. However, the boats on which they live are subject to examination from time to time, and if they are found to be in a dangerous condition, the occupants are moved to temporary housing ashore. Since 1977, 922 people from 111 boats found to be in a dangerous condition have been rehoused. Apart from this, the Hong Kong Government believe that there is no justification for giving the boat people priority over other applicants for government housing.
The real problem of course arises from the difficulty of making sufficient public housing available quickly enough. that you are well aware of the very severe problems which the Hong Kong Government faces in trying to provide housing for its rapidly growing population. The Government's policy is to assist all who live in sub-standard accommodation by the provision of subsidised public housing. These include not only boat dwellers but large numbers of people living in unsatisfactory conditions on land. Within this general policy, priority for rehousing is given to people made homeless as a result of fire or natural disaster, or whose homes become dangerous or are on areas that are needed for development. Otherwise, everybody must take their turn, and because of the large numbers involved (swollen by recent trends in immigration) demand exceeds supply and there is a waiting list of 6-7 years.
This situation exists despite a government housing programme that is already providing subsidised public housing for over 2 million people (46% of the population) and which is adding new homes at the rate of about 40,000 a year. It is hoped by 1985 to provide accommodation for 65% of the population. This programme is outstanding by any standard: it is made all the more impressive by the fact that the Government have had to cope with a population that has increased more than sevenfold in 30 years, and has had to provide homes in a territory that suffers from an acute land shortage.
In this situation it is perhaps not surprising that people should try to jump the queue, as the boat-people from the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter are trying to do. Since September last year, they have organised a series of demonstrations and petitions seeking to be given priority in the allocation of public housing. Some of their activities did not receive the necessary authorisations, but no action was taken against the organisers until 24 December, when 150 boat dwellers, with 50 other supporters, assembled to march to the Government's central offices. Since no permit had been obtained for the march, the police warned the demonstrators that their action was unlawful and advised them to disperse. Most did so, but a few remained to hold a press conference. The police took no further action on that occasion.
/On