WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1985
10
BEST USE MADE OF LIMITED HOUSING RESOURCES
****
THE MAIN REASON FOR IMPOSING A SPACE ELIGIBLITY OF 2.23 SQUARE METRES PER PERSON WAS TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF LIMITED HOUSING RESOURCES FOR THE MOST DESERVING CASES RATHER THAN A TIGHTENING OF THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY.
HE CITED THESE MOST DESERVING CASES AS FAMILIES WHO WERE MORE OVERCROWDED AND WHO WERE UNABLE TO BUY HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS.
MR FORD POINTED OUT THAT THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY SITUATION IN PUBLIC HOUSING HAD NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY THE REVISED SPACE ELIGIBILITY CRITERION.
+THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES TRANSFERRED FOR OVERCROWDING RELIEF PURPOSES IN THE SIX YEARS UP TO 1984-85 WERE, 4 100, 3 600, 4500, 6200, 4 800 AND 5 000 RESPECTIVELY.
+THESE FIGURES SUGGEST THAT THE TRANSFER PATTERN HAS NOT CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THIS PERIOD AND NOR DO I EXPECT IT TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE,+
AS FOR THOSE OVERCROWDED FAMILIES NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RELIEF, MR FORD SAID THEY COULD IMPROVE THEIR SPACE SITUATION IN VARIOUS WAYS.
HE SAID IT COULD BE ACHIEVED BY BUYING HOS FLATS MAKING USE OF THE GREEN FORM, OR APPLYING FOR LARGER FLATS THROUGH THE WAITING LIST IN WHICH CASE THE WAITING LIST ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WOULD APPLY.
+ IN THE CASE OF LARGE EXTENDED FAMILIES, ONE OR MORE OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY UNITS MAY APPLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING THROUGH THE WAITING LIST OR BUY HOS FLATS.
+OVERCROWDED FAMILIES MAY BE PROVIDED WITH LARGER FLATS ON COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS.+
UNDER THE PRESENT POLICY ON OVERCROWDING RELIEF, MR FORD SAID SUCH RELIEF WOULD BE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES CURRENTLY LIVING IN THE MORE OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS SUCH AS THOSE PEOPLE OCCUPYING LESS THAN 2.23 SQUARE METRES PER PERSON.
IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR OVERCROWDING RELIEF, HOUSEHOLD INCOME MUST BE BELOW $7 500 PER MONTH AND TENANTS SHOULD NOT POSSESS DOMESTIC PROPERTY.
OVERCROWDING RELIEF MAY ALSO BE PROVIDED WHEN TENANTS ARE REHOUSED FOR MANAGEMENT REASONS INCLUDING REDEVELOPMENT, IMPROVEMENT OR CONVERSION, OR WHEN THERE IS A NEED TO CREATE SMALL FLATS FOR SINGLE PERSONS AND TWO-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS.
11