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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1976
BEST MIX OF FLAT SIZES IN NEW ESTATES UNDER STUDY
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THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS MAKING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE MIX OF FLAT SIZES TO BE BUILT IN FUTURE BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. IAN LIGHTBODY TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
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IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR. THE HON. HENRY HU IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. HE SAID: THE MIX OF FLAT SIZES WHICH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BUILDS IS DERIVED FROM A NUMBER OF OFTEN CONFLICTING CONSIDERATIONS, SUCH AS THE CENSUS DEPARTMENT'S FORECAST OF HOUSE- HOLD NUMBERS AND SIZES, THE HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILIES COMING FORWARD FOR PUBLIC HOUSING UNDER VARIOUS CATEGORIES, THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK OF VARIOUS SIZES, THE CONTINUING SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC HOUSING RISING HOUSING ASPIRATIONS AND THE ECONOMICS OF BUILDING LARGER, AS OPPOSED TO SMALLER, FLATS.
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MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN RECENT YEARS HAD MAINLY PROVIDED FLATS WHICH UNDER PRESENT RULES WERE ALLOCATED TO FAMILIES OF FOUR OR MORE PERSONS IN ITS NEW ESTATES.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED, OVER 70 PER CENT OF ALL SELF-CONTAINED FLATS WERE SMALLER THAN 25 SQUARE METRES (270 SQUARE FEET) AND OVER 50 PER CENT WERE SMALLER THAN 20 SQUARE METRES (215 SQUARE FEET).
MANY OF THESE FLATS, HE SAID, WERE OVERCROWDED WITH FAMILIES WHO WERE OFTEN EAGER TO MOVE TO LARGER FLATS IN NEW ESTATES.
+THIS DESIRE FOR IMPROVEMENT IN LIVING CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, PARTICULARLY AS THE SMALLER FLATS VACATED IN THIS WAY ALLOW IT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SMALLER HOUSEHOLDS OF TWO OR THREE PERSONS, HE SAID.
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