WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1984
14
PUBLIC VIEWS BEING SOUGHT ON HOUSING ALLOCATION
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A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING ALLOCATION POLICIES WILL BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DONALD LIAO SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR LIAO STRESSED THAT THIS WAS A DISCUSSION DOCUMENT +IN THE TRUEST SENSE OF THE WORD+ AND THE OPTIONS CONTAINED IN IT WERE NOT YET AGREED POLICIES.
MR LIAO EXPLAINED THAT THE STABILISATION OF POPULATION GROWTH AND THE SUSTAINED AND INCREASING LEVEL OF PUBLIC HOUSING PRODUCTION HAD ENABLED THE AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT A FURTHER REVIEW OF ITS ALLOCATION POLICIES.
HE SAID THE AREAS WHICH WERE THE SUBJECT OF THAT REVIEW WERE THE ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING FOR SMALL HOUSEHOLDS THE REHOUSING OF SQUATTERS AND TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA RESIDENTS, THE ISSUE OF WELL-OFF PUBLIC RENTAL TENANTS, MEASURES TO PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP, AND THE ADDITION OF MARRIED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO PUBLIC HOUSING TENANCIES.
+SINCE ANY CHANGE OF POLICY COULD HAVE AN IMPACT NOT ONLY ON THE 2.5 MILLION PUBLIC LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING BUT ALSO ON PROSPECTIVE TENANTS AND HOME OWNERS, THE AUTHORITY WILL SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC ON A RANGE OF OPTIONS BEFORE IT DECIDES WHETHER CHANGES OF POLICY SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT.
+COPIES OF THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESS AND HAVE NO DOUBT THAT VARIOUS DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD WISH TO DISCUSS THESE SUBJECTS, HE SAID.
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REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED BY THE HON F.K. HU, MR LIAO SAID TOTAL PUBLIC HOUSING PRODUCTION IN 1983-84 TOTALLED 38 681 FLATS, OF WHICH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CONTRIBUTED A RECORD 36 441.
HE SAID THE AUTHORITY INTENDED TO MAINTAIN SUCH PRODUCTION LEVELS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
INDEED. WHEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME REACHED ITS FULL TARGET OF 5 000 A YEAR IN 1985-86, THE TOTAL PUBLIC HOUSING PRODUCTION WOULD RISE TO AN AVERAGE OF 40 000 FLATS PER YEAR, HE SAID,
AS TO THE SUGGESTION THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SHOULD PURSUE A RENTAL POLICY AIMED AT REDUCING THE GAP BETWEEN ACTUAL COSTS AND RENTAL INCOME SO THAT GRADUALLY THE AUTHORITY COULD CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF RENTAL ESTATES AND BE LESS DEPENDENT ON PUBLIC FUNDS, MR LIAO AGREED THAT THIS WAS DESIRABLE, IT WAS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AUTHORITY THAT RENTAL INCOME SHOULD COVER RECURRENT EXPENDITURE.
/+HOWEVER, SINCE