authorized to live in resettlement estates and cottage areas, and a further 35,271 persons were living in licensed areas under the depart- ment's control. Although the control and rehousing of squatters re- mained an important aspect of the department's work, the department had become the landlord for over a quarter of Hong Kong's popula- tion, accommodated in public housing.
6. Because of the need to improve the quality of housing manage- ment, and to undertake an expanded rate programme of new public housing units, a decision was taken during 1972 to amalgamate the Resettlement Department with the Housing Division of the Urban Services Department and place both under a reconstituted statutory Housing Authority. On 1st April, 1973 the new Housing Authority and the new Housing Department came into being, with responsibilities which included all those functions previously exercised by the Resettle- ment Department, and the former Housing Division and, in addition, the task of implementing a 10-year housing programme to provide 1.8 million individual units of accommodation by 1983. This report is the last annual report of the Resettlement Department.
MAIN EVENTS OF THE YEAR
7. There was a tragic loss of 68 lives in the disastrous landslide at the Sau Mau Ping Licensed Area after the heavy rains in June, 1972. More than 900 people living in the licensed area were immediately offered public housing accommodation. A further 19,000 people were later offered public housing following a survey of potentially dangerous slopes and embankments in all licensed and squatter areas.
8. On 12th October, 1972 the Shek Kip Mei Rehousing Scheme was started, aimed at bringing about radical improvements to the living conditions of the 62,000 tenants of this 19-year old estate. The first phase of the scheme involved the transfer of some 11,000 tenants, 48 shops and 11 workshops to nearby Pak Tin Estate, and was success- fully completed by the end of March 1973. A special Rehousing Unit was set up in the department to plan and implement this $80 million scheme, the first in a comprehensive programme for the redevelop- ment of all the older estates. (Sec also paragraphs 60-63).
9. Firm action continued to be taken to improve living conditions in all estates by clearing up the estate compounds and by improve- ments to the blocks themselves. Nearly 8,500 illegal structures were
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