KAIFONGS AND RESIDENTS ACTIVITIES
79. There are altogether 31 resettlement kaifong associations, 22 in estates and 9 in cottage areas. These kaifong associations play an important part in making known residents' views to the department and other Government agencies. Accommodation in estates is made available to these associations at a nominal rent of $1 a month for use as offices and for running libraries and reading rooms, youth centres, nurseries, vocational/training classes and kindergartens. Since the disbandment of the Estates Division Liaison Unit on 1st April, 1971, the liaison work with these kaifong associations has been passed to the City District Officers of the Secretariat for Home Affairs. The work undertaken by the department in organizing youth and community activities in resettle- ment estates has also been handed over to the Urban Services Department and the City District Offices. However, the department still maintains close contact with the kaifong associations.
CHAPTER 6
THE COTTAGE AREAS
GENERAL
80. The first cottage areas were established in 1948 for squatters in central areas who were offered sites in outlying districts to build their own cottages. It was then thought that these areas would not be required for development in the foreseeable future. However, because of the rapid progress of development many of these cottages are now being cleared for public works projects. At present, there are still 14 cottage areas in Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and the New Territories with a total of 50,293 authorized population; 3,891 accepted unauthorized persons; and 3,703 unauthorized persons. Authorized persons are cottage permit-holders; accepted unauthorized persons are residents whose names do not appear on the permit but are accepted because they were included in the 1963 census; unauthorized persons are residents neither on the permit nor included in the census. The figure had dropped considerably from 80,000 in 1964 to 50,293 on 31st March, 1972. A list of the 14 cottage areas together with the population of each is at Appendix 3.
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