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Monday, March 26, 1973
HOUSING AUTHORITY ENDS 19-YEAR SERVICE WITH PROUD RECORD
Birth Of New High-Powered Housing Body
The Hong Kong Housing Authority's achievements, aspirations and
frustrations were today recounted by its Vice-Chairman, Mr. J.J. Robson.
Mr. Robson was speaking at a ceremony marking the end of the
19-year-old Authority which had been dissolved to make way for a newly
reconstituted one to be formally installed on April, 1.
In terms of solid achievements, Mr. Robson said that the old
Authority could take pride in the fact that it had provided homes at
reasonable rents in good surroundings for 218,000 people, with accommodation for a further 46,000 near completion.
He said that the Authority had also taken over from the Public
Works Department for management, 17 estates providing homes for 397,000
people.
Mr. Robson explained that the Authority, set up with the object
of assisting in the solution of the housing shortage, was never intended to
have a monopoly in this field.
At that time, it was estimated that 350,000 people needed to be
rehoused from tenements alone, in order that living space of those remaining
could be increased to the minimum of 35 sq.ft. per person.
This estimate, he said, took no account of the squatters who were
already on the ground, and who were to spread rapidly in the ensuing years,
or of the natural increase in population.
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