56. On sites where space is limited or where difficulties of site formation preclude the use of a standard 'H' block, a single wing block, known as an 'I' block, is used. The design and the dimensions are similar to one wing of an 'H' block, the only difference being that the latrines and bathrooms are incorporated in the block.
57. Standard resettlement accommodation can be converted at little cost into self-contained flats of either 240 square feet (1 bay), 360 square feet (1 bays) or 480 square feet (2 bays), each flat having its own kitchen, lavatory, shower and private balcony. Conversions of this kind have in fact been used on the top floors of blocks in some estates to provide quarters for estate staff pending the construction of separate blocks of quarters. Drawings showing how these conversions can be made may be found at Appendix III at the end of this report. Four 'I' blocks have now been built in different estates, which consist entirely of self-contained flats. Most of these flats have a floor area of 240 square feet for which the rent, including rates, is $45 a month. There are also some flats of 360 square feet with a rent of $65. Better quality accommodation is now also being provided in the end-bay rooms of the new style resettlement blocks. Each has a kitchen and private balcony, but no lavatory. They are 310 square feet in area and the rent is $45. Self-contained flats are reserved for families who are cleared from homes of a higher standard than normal.
58. In the domestic rooms on the upper floors settlers are allowed to engage in cottage industries which include rattan and embroidery piecework and the assembly of plastic flowers. Trades and businesses which are unsuitable for the upper floors can be accommodated in ground floor bays, for which a higher rent is charged. On 31st March, 1962, 2,815 ground floor rooms of sizes varying from 120 to 310 square feet were let as shops and 578 were let as workshops; of these 3381 bays were let for restaurants or cafes, 175 bays for the sale of fresh provisions, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and 18 bays as roast meat shops.
59. With effect from January 1962, shops in resettlement blocks were divided into four grades according to their location. Shops in the best situations, i.e. those next to main roads or hawker markets, are charged a rent of $200 per month for a bay of 240 square feet, those in less good but better than average situations are charged a rent of $150 per month, those in ordinary locations are charged $115 per month, and shops in exceptionally bad locations pay a rent of $80 per month. The new rents in all cases include provision for rates which had not
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