HOUSING
tenderer. As an alternative to reprovisioning, such commercial tenants can now choose to relinquish the opportunity for reprovisioning and opt for a lump sum payment of $24,000 to assist the relocation of their business.
Temporary Housing
Temporary Housing Areas (THAs) are provided for the homeless and people not yet eligible for permanent public housing who have been displaced by clearances, fires, natural disasters and other operations. At the end of the year, there were 72 000 persons living in 65 THAs.
With the relaxation of rehousing policies, the demand for temporary housing has decreased. The Housing Authority does not plan to build any more new temporary housing areas. On the other hand, a five-year programme has been drawn up to clear an average of 16 000 people from THAs every year.
Residents in THAs are rehoused in permanent public housing through clearance, trawling and the Waiting List. Further, they have priority in the purchase of HOS flats or are eligible for interest-free loans under the Home Purchase Loan Scheme. During the year, 21 000 people moved out through these means.
Transit Centres
Eight transit centres with a total capacity for some 1 300 persons are suitably located in the territory to provide free and emergency accommodation for people made homeless by fires and natural disasters before their eligibility for rehousing is established.
Cottage Areas
There are six cottage areas in the territory accommodating nearly 10 000 people.
Squatter Control
The 1982 squatter structure survey provides a baseline for control of new squatting on government land and private agricultural land. Squatter control is carried out in the form of daily patrols and regular hut-to-hut checks.
New illegal structures demolished were mainly non-domestic, and over half of them were demolished by patrols before they were even completed for use.
Rehousing through clearance and the Waiting List has reduced the squatter population to 58 000 in the urban area and 230 000 in the New Territories.
Squatter Area Improvements
With the completion of the squatter area improvement programme the Housing Authority continues to undertake regular maintenance and repairs of the services and facilities built under this programme. It is also responsible for setting electricity charges for public lights in squatter areas.
Kowloon Walled City Clearance
Since the government announced the decision in 1987 to clear the Walled City, the Special Duties Office has completed offers of rehousing and compensation to all 28 300 eligible residents and operators of some 900 commercial undertakings. Of these, 25 450 residents and 520 commercial undertakings have accepted the government's offer and moved out of the Walled City. Cash compensation amounting to $2.4 billion has been paid.
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