APPENDIX E.
THE HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY.
AIMS, OBJECTS, etc.
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1. ORIGIN.
In 1948 a grant of £14,000 was made available to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service from the Lord Mayor of London's Empire Air Raid Distress Fund for the relief of distress among the poor in Hong Kong. The Council believing that housing of the poor constituted a most important and probably the worst - social problem in the Colony, resolved that the grant should be
To this devoted to initiating a housing scheme for the poor. end a Housing Sub-Committee was set up which, with the encourage- ment of Government, joined forces with a number of non members of the Council interested in the problem to constitute the Hong Kong Housing Society.
2. OBJECTS.
The objects of this Society are based on the Housing Act 1936 and are "the acquiring, building, controlling, improving, managing or facilitating or encouraging the construction or improvement of housing and any associated amenities" for the poorer sections of the community, on an economic but non-profit making basis.
3.
CONSTITUTION.
The Society at present is not an incorporated body but is
It is intended however an association governed by agreed rules. that should the Society's proposals be approved, it would be incorporated either by the passing of an Ordinance on the lines which it is understood Government has had drafted for the
It is anticipated purpose, or as a Company limited by guarantee. that provision would then be made for Government to participate in the administration and financial control of the Society by the appointment of trustees, directors or members.
In view of the magnitude of the problem, the members of the Society believe that action on a large scale to build more houses for the poorer sections of the community, either by Government or with its encouragement, is necessary and inevitable, and should an Improvement Authority or Housing Trust be set up for the purpose, the members would be willing to see the Society amalgamated with such Authority or Trust (provided grants made to it from other than Government sources were refunded).
4.
MANAGEMENT.
The conditions which obtain in Hong Kong make it certain that the careful selection of tenants and trained management, which experience of similar schemes elsewhere has shown to be so important, will be essential if the maximum social benefit is to be derived from the housing provided. The members have in mind that investigations by competent case-workers such as those employed by one of the constituent bodies of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service will be necessary. Experienced and trained management can obviate the abuse of facilities and economic loss arising from irrecoverable rent or deterioration of property, and can foster the growth of a community spirit. While the first "pilot" project is not large enough to justify the full-time employment of an expatriate trained manager,