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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1974.
HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS
THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TODAY URGED GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A PROGRAMME TO SELL ON THE INSTALMENT PLAN SOME OF ITS EXISTING OR FUTURE HOUSING UNITS TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR PULLIC HOUSING AND CAN AFFORD TO PAY.
HE SAID: +THERE IS AN IMPERATIVE NEED TO PROVIDE A LARGER CASH FLOW ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S BUILDING PROGRAMME SO THAT GOVERNMENT CAN LIVE UP TO THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATION IN PROVIDI DECENT HOMES FOR ANOTHER 1.8 MILLION PERSONS IN THE NEXT 10 YEA
FURTHERMORE, MR. CHEONC-LEEN ADDED, IT COULD NOT BE REPEATED TOO OFTEN THAT THE PROCESS OF HCME-OWNERSHIP WAS AN INTERGRAL PART OF CREATING A MORE PERMANENT AND DEEP-ROOTED COMMUNITY IDENTITY.
HE SUGGESTED THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENVISAGE A HOME-OWNERSHIP SCHEME OF ABOUT 10 PER CENT DOWN PAYMENT, WITH INSTALMENT TERMS SPREAD OVER A PERIOD OF BETWEEN 15 TO 20 ̊ YEARS.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON A MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.
+ANOTHER ASPECT OF HOUSING WHICH DESERVES TO BE LOOKED AT BY GOVERNMENT WITH A FRESH AND CRITICAL EYE, HE POINTED CUT, HAS TO DO WITH HOUSING BLACK-SPOTS' OR SLUM DISTRICTS IN THE. URBAN AREAS WHERE HONG KONG BORN OR LONG-TERM RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN LIVING FOR TOO LONG IN OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS IN OLD SLUM BUILDINGS,+ HE SAID.
+THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF SUCH ELACK-SPOTS' WHICH ARE TO BE FOUND IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT, IN YAUMATI, IN MONG KOK AND PERHAPS IN ONE OR TWO OTHER DISTRICTS.+
HE CONTINUED: +SINCE IT WILL TAKE MANY YEARS DEFORE URBAN RENEWAL PLANS CAN BE PUT INTO EFFECT IN SUCH DISTRICTS, IT WOULD SEEN TO BE A PRACTICAL APPROACH IF SUCH LLACK-SPOTS' COULD LE PINPOINTED AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BE EMPOWERED TO BUY OVER SUCH AREAS AT CURRENT MARKET VALUES FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
+A SCHEME COULD 'THEN BE WORKED OUT WHEREBY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD RESETTLE THE RESIDENTS FROM THE BLACK-SPOTS' MILE THE ACQUIRED LAND COULD EITHER DE SOLD OUTRIGHT OR DEVELOPED JOINTLY WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO PUT UP DOMESTIC HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL COMPLEXES ON REASONALLE STANDARDS TO BE AGREED UPON IN ADVANCE.+
MR. CHEONG-LEEN EMPHASISED THAT THE CLEARING UP OF THESE HOUSING BLACK-SPOTS' OUGHT TO BE A SCHEME REQUIRING QUICK ATTENTION AND SHOULD PROCEED WITH MAXIMUM SPEED IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER OR ACT URDAN IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES HAVE BEEN PREPARED OR APPROVED FOR ANY OF THE DISTRICTS IN QUESTION.
ON THE QUESTION OF CRIME, MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID VIOLENT CRIME WAS STILL ONE OF THE MOST WORRISOME ASPECTS AFFECTING THE DAILY LIVES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
/SINCE THE