Nevertheless, it became clear, when the Government reviewed progress
about five years ago that we were not doing more than contain the problem
and that new programmes and methods were essential if we were to reduce the
huge waiting lists for public housing. In 1973, therefore, the new Housing
Authority was formed, with enlarged responsibilities. These included the
planning, building and managing of all public housing estates throughout
Hong Kong, the execution of land clearances and the control and prevention
of illegal squatting and the management of permitted areas.
The Government believed that it was essential to centralize in one
body the duty of carrying through one ambitious housing programme, which has
as its ultimate aim the provision of a decent home for every family in Hong
Kong. Such a formidable task demands a unified and determined organisation
equipped with substantial resources and professional skills. This Commercial
Centre is one of the first achievements of this new Housing Authority.
In what ways then does Oi Man differ from the earliest forms of
public housing? To begin with, each of its 6,000 or so flate is self-contained,
with a living/dining room, a kitchen, a toilet and a private balcony. The
total floor areas of flats range from over 350 square feet to almost 600 square
feet, at rents far below what would be charged in the private sector for
similar accommodation. A number of two-bedroom flats have been provided to
enable the Authority to allocate this accommodation in a more flexible way
to meet demand. Fittings and finishings, to which too little attention has
been given (even in expensive housing) have been carefully designed.
A modern estate, however, should consist of much more than residen-
tial accommodation alone. For planners of imagination do not merely seek to
construct living quarters in large quantities, they strive to create a vigorous
social community, which will in time develop a local identity of its own.
The architects of Oi Man have therefore included shops, markets,
/restaurants,
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