WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1978
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HAVING BEEN DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING FOR OVER 13 YEARS, HE SAID, HE IS CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT IT IS ONE OF HONG KONG'S GREATEST SUCCESSES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME ARDENT CRITICS MAY SAY.
+HOWEVER, I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION IS TO BE HOUSED EVENTUALLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, APPRECIATING THAT SOME VERY AND QUITE ELL-TO-DO PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS.+
HE NOTED THAT AT PRESENT, ABOUT 47 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION ARE SUCH TENANTS PAYING AN AVERAGE OF ONLY 4.3 PER CENT OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT AS COMPARED TO 6.3 PER CENT IN 1971, WHILE THE FIGURE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TODAY IS 19.5 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 19.3 PER CENT IN 1971.
+ THE RENT GAP BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HOUSING IS WIDENING YEAR AFTER YEAR AND THIS COULD WELL BECOME AN INSOLUBLE PROBLEM,+ HE SAID.
HE HOPED THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE BUDGET DEBATE, HE WOULD RECEIVE SOME ANSWERS REGARDING THE DIRECTION AND EXTENT PUBLIC HOUSING SHOULD GO, AND WHETHER THE PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD BE LEFT TO DO ITS FAIR SHARE OF PROVIDING HOUSING.
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