(a) The Problem
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
HONG KONG'S 'problem of people' is well known: seen from another angle it is a 'problem of land.' Between August 1945 and April 1950 the population is thought to have quadrupled. The great influx of people led, of course, to a corresponding shortage of schools, hospitals and all the other amenities which are essential for a civilized community. All these buildings need land, and land is what Hong Kong lacks. A vicious circle was created: the people poured in; they needed homes, but could not obtain these by ordinary legal methods: they therefore occupied any open land which they could find and covered it with squatter shacks; this in turn aggravated the land shortage, since wherever new buildings were planned it was found that their intended sites were occupied by squatters.
(b) The Resettlement Department
2. It was to meet this need that in April 1954 the Resettlement Department was created. Its main functions can be summed up under three heads to prevent any further land being occupied by squatters; to clear existing squatters from land required for development; and to plan, maintain and administer the buildings into which these squatters are cleared. These three activities are described in more detail in the later chapters of this report.
CHAPTER II
SQUATTER CONTROL
(a) Preventing New Illegal Structures
3. It is the duty of the Squatter Control Division to prevent new unlawful structures from being built and existing ones from being enlarged. This work is done by ‘Area Officers' each of whom is respon- sible for an 'Area' which he patrols on foot, covering the whole in a week. In this way the Officer becomes so familiar with his beat that he can immediately recognize any new building even though it is built of old materials and carefully disguised.
1