14. Structures which have been expressly tolerated following surveys, the last of which was in 1964, are allowed to remain undisturbed until they have to be demolished to make way for permanent development, when the occupants are rehoused in public housing estates. When a new structure or an extension to a tolerated structure is discovered, the department will demolish it if the owner fails to do so.
15. The department registers squatter families whose huts have been destroyed or damaged by fire or typhoon, gives them temporary shelter in one of seven transit centres and arranges for their subsequent resiting in a licensed area or rehousing in an estate. A record is kept of destroyed or seriously damaged huts after natural disasters, so that grants may be paid from the Community Relief Trust Fund.
16. During the year under review, a total of 12,818 new or re- erected structures or extensions were demolished by squatter control staff, and another 2,277 were dismantled by their owners. 520 of these were on the roofs of permanent buildings. At the end of the year an estimated 280,500 people were still living in tolerated squatter huts. This figure has decreased steadily over the years, as the following table illustrates in round figures:
31st March
1965 1966
...
...
1967
...
...
***
1968
:
1969
..
1970
...
***
1971
1972
1973
Squatters
Resitees/ Licensees
...
...
***
463,000
75,300
430,000
84,800
...
...
428,000
57,100
409,000
33,600
401,000
27,700
...
380,000
31,145
358,000
34,700
286,500
36,660
280,500
35,780
LICENSED AREAS
17. The department is responsible for the administration of licensed areas. Class I licensed areas are for people with a high priority for public housing but for whom accommodation in an estate is not available for the time being. The need for such areas did not arise during the year, and there are at present no Class I areas in existence. Class II licensed areas are for people with no priority for public housing but who are nonetheless genuinely homeless.
4
Page 10Page 11