WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1984
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HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAKS RECORDS, SETS NEW TARGETS
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WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S BUILDING PROGRAMME MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD, THERE ARE AT PRESENT OVER 120 000 FLATS UNDER VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION, THUS ENSURING THE CONTINUED HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTION FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
THIS IS STATED BY THE AUTHORITY'S CHAIRMAN, MR DONALD LI AO IN THE AUTHORITY'S 1983/84 ANNUAL REPORT PUBLISHED TODAY, AND TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
THERE ARE FIRM SITE RESERVATIONS FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OF HOUSING REQUIREMENTS WITH STUDIES UNDERWAY TO OBTAIN A FULL 10 YEARS SUPPLY, HE ADDS.
IN THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, MR LIAO CONTINUES, THE AUTHORITY BROKE OLD RECORDS AND SET NEW TARGETS.
DURING THE YEAR, A TOTAL OF 36 441 RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS WERE COMPLETED - THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRODUCTION EVER RECORDED BY THE AUTHORITY. IT ALSO REPRESENTED THE FOURTH YEAR THAT THE AUTHORITY HAD SUCCEEDED IN EXCEEDING THE ANNUAL PRODUCTION TARGET OF 35 000 FLATS A YEAR.
WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME NOW IN FULL SWING, ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF FLATS FOR RENTAL AND SALE WILL BE INCREASED TO MORE THAN 40 000 IN 1985/86, HE ADDS.
MR LIAO'S REVIEW OF THE AUTHORITY'S WORK DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW ALSO TOUCHES UPON, AMONG OTHERS, CAPITAL EXPENDITURE, REDEVELOPMENT OF OLD ESTATES, ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING, THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, TEMPORARY HOUSING AND REHOUSING OF SQUATTERS,
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON RENTAL HOUSING FOR 1983/84 TOTALLED $2 350 MILLION. THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE IN DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, TOGETHER WITH LOWER TENDER PRICES, ENABLED THE AUTHORITY TO BUILD MORE AND BETTER QUALITY FLATS AT A REDUCED LEVEL OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.
THE YEAR ALSO SAW THE COMPLETION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME FOR SHEK KIP ME! ESTATE, THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE BUILT IN HONG KONG. SIMILAR SCHEMES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED WITH VIGOUR AND IMAGINATION IN ALL THE 12 MARK 1 AND 11 ESTATES, AND IT IS ENVISAGED THAT ALL THESE BLOCKS WILL BE COMPLETELY ŘEDEVELOPED OR SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED BY 1990.
CONCERNING TEMPORARY HOUSING, MR LIAD STATES THE ABSENCE OF MAJOR NATURAL DISASTERS AND FIRES DURING THE YEAR GAVE THE AUTHORITY A WELCOME OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR ITS COMMITMENTS IN REHOUSING THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE STAYING IN TRANSIT CENTRES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND TO ORGANISE THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY HOUSING.
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