OMELCO
*
DRAFT SPEECH BY HON S L CHEN, CBE, DSC, JP
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
*
29.10.86
Adjournment Deabe on the "Report of the Committee
on Housing Subsidy to Tenants of Public Housing" and the "Report of the Domestic Rent Policy Review Committee"
sir,
In any attempt to deal with problems of our
subsidised public housing, one always has to bear in mind that:-
(a) Public housing policy in Hong Kong has always
been that subsidy should only be given to those tenants who are in need of them; and
(b) There are still a large number of people awaiting
public rental housing at present about 170,000 on waiting list, 38,000 households living in temporary housing areas and 119,000 families in squatter areas.
The first point clearly sets out the social objectives of our public housing programme and the second is no more than a statement of fact, but the two must not be considered in isolation.
2.
Obviously, all the people mentioned above are in need of housing. But equally obvious is the fact that we cannot possibly afford to accommodate all at the same time. Therefore, having identified the need, suitable cirteria for defining the 'eligibility' must be established in order to provide a rational basis for allocating the facilities. Generally speaking, families are re-housed either because they have demonstrated an acute need for immediate housing or comply with the Waiting List Income Limit (WLIL).
OMELCO