LAND AND HOUSING
129
factories, containing a total of 1,282,902 square feet of net working space, mostly situated in or near existing resettlement estates. Rents are calculated to provide a return on capital within 21 years at 5 per cent per annum compound interest. They vary from $75 a month for a ground-floor unit to $45 a month for one on the fourth floor in the older factories, and from $140 on the ground- floor to $65 on the sixth floor in the new factories. All rents are inclusive of rates. In administering these factory tenancies, the Resettlement Department checks machinery and electrical and floor loading and, to secure satisfactory working conditions and safety from fire and other hazards, there is continuous liaison with the Labour and Fire Services Departments. A programme of installing additional rising mains and individual moulded circuit-breakers to factories was started during the year in order to catch up with the ever-increasing demands for electrical power.
There still remain 14 of the old cottage resettlement areas in various parts of the urban area and New Territories, but the number of occupants tends to dwindle as clearance for development goes on and they are resettled in multi-storey accommodation. However, they still house 75,000 people. Several of the remaining cottage areas contain many small factories, shops and workshops, together with schools, clinics and welfare centres of various types, which are largely provided by voluntary agencies who continue to add generously to such facilities year by year.
SQUATTER CLEARANCES
1
During the year 57,002 people were cleared and resettled from land required for development and 209 acres of land were thus freed. Due to the scarcity of land in the urban area it is becoming increasingly necessary to clear areas further afield to provide sites for new resettlement estates. A new estate is under construction at Yuen Long in the New Territories for squatters cleared locally.
Reclamation schemes are reducing the number of sheltered anchorages and it has been found necessary to resettle boat squat- ters to relieve congestion. During the year 5,572 were resettled. The main aims are to preserve the maximum available space in typhoon shelters for fishing and other working craft and to reduce the serious health risk which static boats constitute.