182
LAND AND HOUSING
Urgent consideration was being given to amendments to existing legislation in order to control more effectively the safety measures and precautions taken to protect adjoining properties before demolition and piling works commence.
HOUSING
There was severe overcrowding in tenement buildings even before the Pacific War, when the rate of construction failed to match increases in the population brought about by immigration 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 apparent with the rapid return of the population. It intensified greatly during 1949 and 1950 following a fresh influx of immi- grants from China and, despite the intense building activity which has taken place during the past 11 years, new housing has been unable to keep pace with population growth.
soon
Hong Kong's vigorous building programme continued unabated throughout 1963. Considerable progress was made in the Govern- ment's new low-cost housing programme which is designed to provide accommodation for 20,000 people annually who earn less than $400 a month and who are living in insanitary or overcrowded conditions. Rents range from $35 a month for a four-person room to $80 for a 10-person room. At the end of the year one such low-cost housing estate, for 5,687 people in 1,286 flats, was com- plete and four other estates, which will provide 10,908 flats to accommodate 47,514 people, were nearing completion. Occupa- tion of two of the estates nearing completion had already begun. This programme is in addition to the resettlement programme which has already provided accommodation for 604,754 people. Apart from Government's contribution, private enterprise has pro- vided accommodation for about 710,000 people during the past eight years. A large number of these people however, are those who have had to be re-housed as a result of old buildings being demolished. At the end of 1963 rated domestic accommodation in the urban areas (excluding resettlement estates) comprised 109,591 tenement floors, 27,316 small flats, 28,219 low-cost housing units, 12,933 large flats and 995 houses. Domestic accommodation predominates in all new building projects.