MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1976
ROOM FOR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING TO CO-EXIST *****
THERE IS ROOM IN HONG KONG FOR BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING TO CO-EXIST AND PROSPER, MRS. ELAINE CHIA, PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, SAID TODAY.
+GOVERNMENT+, SHE SAID, +1S AS CONCERNED WITH GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AS IT IS TO PROMOTE NEW HOUSE-FUILDING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.+
SPEAKING AT THE FIRST QUARTERLY MEETING FOR 1975/76 OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, MRS. CHIA SAID RECENT STUDIES INDICATED THAT ABOUT HALF OF ALL FAMILIES IN HONG KONG COULD AFFORD PRIVATE HOUSING. THE REMAINDER WOULD REQUIRE AIDED HOUSING, AS AGAINST 32 PER CENT OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS (OR 44 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION) ALREADY IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
ON PUBLIC HOUSING, SHE SAID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FACED TWO TASKS. ONE WAS TO BUILD AS MANY NEW ESTATES AS FUNDS AND OTHER RESOURCES WOULD ALLOW FOR OVERCROWDED FAMILIES IN BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING, SQUATTERS, LICENSED AREA OCCUPANTS AND EMERGENCY VICTIMS. THE OTHER WAS TO REHOUSE THE 500,000 PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN VERY UNSATISFACTORY CONDITIONS IN THE OLDEST ESTATES.
THESE TWO TASKS, SHE ADDED, WERE INTER-RELATED AND HAD TO BE TACKLED CONCURRENTLY.
MRS. CHIA SAID: +DESPITE THE UNFAVOURABLE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN 1975, THE HOUSING PROGRAMME HAS NOT BEEN TOO BADLY AFFECTED. AT THE END OF 1975, THERE WERE TEN PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHILE SIX OTHERS WILL HAVE THEIR CONTRACTS LET BEFORE APRIL THIS YEAR.
+THESE ESTATES WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE 1979 AND TOGETHER,
THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 300,000 PEOPLE.+
SHE POINTED OUT THAT AT TODAY'S PRICE, THE TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS WOULD BE IN THE REGION OF $5,500 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, LAND FORMATION CHARGES COST $1,600 MILLION MORE, THUS MAKING A TOTAL OF $7,100 MILLION. THIS AMOUNT REPRESENTS 21 PER CENT OF THE 1974 HONG KONG GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
MRS. CHIA SAID: +GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES A LUMP SUM EVERY YEAR FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC HOUSING AND NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT WORK. THIS SUM WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THIS AMBITIOUS BUILDING PROGRAMME, NOT TO MENTION THE PREMIUM PAYMENTS FOR ESTATE SITES, OR RECURRENT EXPENSES OF MANAGING ESTATES.+
/THE GAP,