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HOUSING
The Housing Ordinance empowers the authority to introduce road restrictions in estates and impose charges for the impounding and removal of vehicles parked illegally within estates. Offending car owners or drivers may also be prosecuted under the provisions of the Housing (Traffic) By-laws. These arrangements make it possible to keep the access roads in estates free from obstruction caused by illegal parking and hawking, thereby improving the estate environment.
The 'door-to-door' rent collection system, which provides regular personal contact between estate staff and tenants or their family members, is recognised by the authority as a very useful method in fostering good landlord and tenant relationship. This method of rent collection is adopted in all the new public housing estates where such direct contact will help tenants to settle down rapidly in a new environment.
Estate management staff continued to take vigorous action against illegal hawking activities inside public housing estates. A special 100-member operations team was success- ful in bringing hawker black spots under better control, including those in the Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Chung, Kwai Fong, Cheung Hong, Cheung Ching and Kwai Shing East estates.
Temporary Housing
At the end of the year, 119 236 people were living in 51 Temporary Housing Areas (THAs) with a total capacity of 133 456 person spaces. Some eight new THAs were constructed, producing 14 000 person spaces for those not yet eligible for public housing. These new THAS consist of full-built structures, providing electrical fittings, individual water supply and kitchen/shower rooms. In addition, development of 21 new temporary housing areas is underway. On the other hand, 16 360 person spaces were lost, mainly through development clearances of THA sites.
Further improved facilities were provided in THAS. Since early 1985, individual living units for single persons have been gradually introduced to replace hostel-type accommoda- tion for these people. Hose reels were added to the existing fire fighting installations and safety matting to play equipment. Individual metered water supply was made available to 25 older THAs, and this facility was an added convenience to tenants and cut down water consumption and cost.
During the year, 18 606 THA residents moved into permanent public housing, 5 400 through clearance and 13 208 through trawling (an exercise conducted on the basis of voluntary application), waiting list and applications for HOS flats. Meanwhile, 19 970 people moved into THAS from clearances and natural disasters. Small units in existing THAS and some spaces in new THAs were reserved for allocation to over-crowded families. A total of 540 families benefited from this scheme in the year.
Transit Centre
There are nine transit centres in the territory to provide immediate shelter for people made homeless by natural disasters. After a short stay they will be allocated permanent or temporary public housing depending on their eligibility. The total capacity of these centres is over 5 100, with the largest centre at Tuen Mun capable of accommodating 3 500.
Cottage Areas
During the year, the Chai Wan and Shui Ngau Ling Cottage Areas were cleared to make way for new development. As a result, the number of cottage areas has been reduced to eight, and their population to 11 758. A project to introduce individual metered water supply to all cottage areas was completed in the year.
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