WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1980
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→THE LONGER THE INFLUX CONTINUES THE MORE DIFFICULT WILL IT BECOME EVER TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. MEANWHILE THE SPREADING SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS AND OVERCROWDING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TELL THEIR OWN TALE.+
OF THE 65 000 NEW FLATS PRODUCED THIS YEAR, ABOUT 30 000 ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND 35 000 INCLUDING NEARLY 9 000 HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS, BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF SLIPPAGE, THE NUMBER OF FLATS COMPLETED IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WAS A LITTLE ABOVE 32 000, OR 33 000 WHEN ADDING THE HOUSING SOCIETY CONTRIBUTION.
ALTHOUGH THE PUBLIC SECTOR PRODUCTION TARGET SET BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS 35 000 FLATS, THE 33 000 COMPLETIONS ACHIEVED WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE OUTPUT IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
MEANWHILE THE PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCED OVER 28 600 FLATS, THUS MAKING UP A TOTAL PRODUCTION OF OVER 60 000 FLATS, WHICH WAS BY FAR THE HIGHEST FIGURE FOR THE DECADE.
IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE, SIR MURRAY SAID IT WAS APPARENT THAT GRANTING AUTHORITY FOR A GIVEN LEVEL OF CONTRACTS WOULD NOT PRODUCE A SIMILAR LEVEL OF COMPLETIONS BECAUSE OF THE INTERVENTION OF A HOST OF EXTRANEOUS AND OFTEN UNFORESEEABLE FACTORS.
AS A RESULT, CONTRACTS WERE NOW BEING LET TO A LEVEL OF ABOUT 10 PER CENT ABOVE TARGET TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST 35 000 FLATS WOULD BE COMPLETED EACH YEAR. THIS WOULD SHOW RESULTS FROM 1983/84 ONWARDS, HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THE POPULAR HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.
+BUT THIS WILL NOT AND MUST NOT BE AT THE COST OF RENTED ACCOMMODATION WHICH IS NEEDED SO BADLY FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE CAPITAL OUTLAY OF HOME PURCHASE AND ARE ON THE WAITING LIST, AND THOSE WHO LOSE THEIR HOMES THROUGH CLEARANCE OR NATURAL DISASTER, HE SAID,
THE GOVERNOR SAID THE SCHEME WAS FULFILLING, AS INTENDED, A DOUBLE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING HOMES FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD THEM AND RENTED ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT.
OUT OF THE FIRST 10 300 HOUSEHOLDS SO FAR ALLOCATED HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS, ALMOST 5 000 WERE VACATING THEIR PLACES IN HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATES, HE SAID.
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