8. In July 1971, the department began a campaign to resite hawkers in temporary bazaars throughout the middle-aged estates. By the end of the year some 2,000 hawkers had been resited and more than 3,000 illegal structures demolished in these estates.
9. During the year nine estate blocks were handed over to the department by the Public Works Department.
10. Early in the year, a Public Relations Unit was set up to meet the mounting interest shown by the public and the press towards the department and its work. The unit's main task is to keep the public informed, through various publicity channels, about the many aspects of the department's work, to explain its policies and problems and the reasons for its frequently unpopular decisions. The unit also deals with the many questions that come from local and overseas newspapers and magazines.
11. During the year a total of 58,838 people were rehoused or otherwise reaccommodated in the various resettlement categories. This compares with 17,804 during the previous year. The breakdown is as follows:
Category
la. Victims of fire and natural disasters... lb. Compassionate cases
2. Squatter huts declared to be dangerous
3.
Ex-tenants of dangerous buildings
4a. Cottage area development clearances
Rehoused
No. of people in R.E.s
in GLCHE
6,997 5,051
593
8,848
777
6,161
4,126
16,297
2,434
2,254
50,327
3,211
7. *Relief of overcrowding in old estates
5,300
Grand total rehoused or reaccommodated ...
55,627
3,211
46. Resite/Licensed area development clearances 4c. Development clearances of squatter arcas
(including boat squatters)
5. Squalid squatter areas...
6. Re-use of licensed areas
Total rehoused
•
+
*
124
+
* The 5,300 people in the relief of overcrowding category are shown separately because they do not represent an increase in the estates population as they are offered accommodation in new estates from overcrowded rooms in old estates.
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