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LAND AND HOUSING
as on Cheung Chau Island and at Silver Mine Bay on Lantau. Large-scale industrial development is concentrated at Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung.
Squatter clearances in the built-up areas of the Colony, together with the growth of industry and the spread of intensive vegetable cultivation, have led to a considerable increase in the number of wooden houses on both Crown and private land in the New Territories. In those places where temporary structures are unlikely to hinder planned development for some time to come, the occupiers are encouraged to apply for temporary structure permits.
HOUSING
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There was severe overcrowding in the Colony's tenement build- ings even before the Pacific War, because construction was unable to match increases in the population brought about by immigra- tion from China. The war and the Japanese occupation of the Colony resulted in considerable damage to residential property and although this was quickly repaired, overcrowding was soon apparent again. It intensified greatly in 1949 and 1950 following a fresh influx of immigrants from China and despite the intense building activity which has taken place, new housing has been unable to keep pace with the population growth during the past 10 years.
Hong Kong's vigorous building programme continued unabated throughout 1962, and Government intensified its efforts by starting a new housing programme. This is designed to provide low-cost housing for 20,000 people annually who earn less than $400 a month and who are living in insanitary or overcrowded conditions. It is additional to the resettlement programme which has already provided accommodation for 508,166 people. Apart from Government's contribution, private enterprise has provided accom- modation for about 85,000 people during the past seven years and many more new buildings are being constructed every year. At the end of 1962 rated domestic accommodation in the urban areas (excluding resettlement estates) comprised 110,877 tenement floors, 23,727 small flats, 16,827 low-cost housing units, 10,062 large flats and 777 houses. Domestic accommodation predominates in all new building projects.