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LAND AND HOUSING
and water taps in place of the former communal latrines and wash- houses. The latest blocks are being built to a larger room-grid to give effect to a Housing Board recommendation that families should be allocated 35 square feet of space for each adult on occupation. By the end of 1971, the total number of blocks of all types adminis- tered by the Resettlement Department was 506. Between them these blocks housed 1,147,860 people, some 53.3 per cent of them in the newer types.
In 1970 work was completed on converting a block in an old estate into self-contained flats, each with its own lavatory and water supply and some with their own balconies. As a result of the success- ful completion of this pilot project, a decision has now been taken to redevelop Shek Kip Mei estate, which is the oldest multi-storey resettlement estate. This scheme involves the conversion of 21 out of 29 blocks into self-contained units, and the demolition of the remainder to make way for new commercial, social and community facilities.
Rents have been fixed at the lowest possible level with a view to covering reimbursement of the capital cost over 40 years (at 34 per cent interest), plus all annually recurrent expenditure including the cost of administration and maintenance. In practice, rising costs have led to a shortfall between outgoings and income. Where appro- priate, an element for water charges and rates is included in the rent. Rents vary according to the design of the block and the size of the room: the all-in rent of a standard room of 120 square feet in the oldest type of block is $18 a month (having been raised, for the first time, from $14 in 1965), while the rent for a standard room of 140 square feet in a new block is $38 (exclusive of water charges). Despite the large population and the wide variety of rents charged, the number of tenants failing to pay is still extremely small. Of the total of $80.8 million due in rents for the year, only about 0.03 per cent had to be written off as irrecoverable arrears.
The resettlement estates are virtually townships (the population of Tsz Wan Shan estate, for instance, is around 139,200) and a wide range of community facilities must be provided. Some ground floor rooms are let as shops or workshops, while others are used by government departments or private welfare organisations as schools, clinics or nurseries. Even the rooftops in the older blocks are put to use. Most of them have been allocated to voluntary agencies who operate primary schools or children's clubs under the guidance of the Education or Social Welfare Departments. In the newer estates, separate six-storey buildings (each with 24 classrooms) are