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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986
+IT WILL BE A HEAVY BURDEN ON PUBLIC FINANCE AND THE NEEDY WILL HAVE TO WAIT MUCH LONGER FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.+
FROM A SOCIAL POINT OF VIEW, ELDERLY SINGLE PEOPLE SHOULD BE GIVEN HIGHER PRIORITY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, HE ADDED.
+
ON THE SUBJECT OF DECLARATION OF INCOME MR CHAN SUGGESTED THAT SUCH DECLARATION MADE TO HOUSING DEPARTMENT OFFICERS SHOULD HAVE STATUTORY EFFECT SO THAT OFFICERS WOULD HAVE SOME AUTHORITY WHEN DEALING WITH FALSE DECLARATIONS.
HE ALSO CRITICISED +FALLACIOUS ARGUMENTS+ MADE BY PRESSURE GROUPS ON THE HOUSING ISSUE AND REITERATED A STATEMENT HE MADE IN THE COUNCIL THREE YEARS AGO:
+WE SHOULD GET ALL WELL-OFF TENANTS OR ABSENTEE TENANTS OUT OF PUBLIC HOUSING INTO HOME OWNERSHIP OR PRIVATE HOUSING AND LET THE QUEUE OF UNDER-PRIVILEGED APPLICANTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD PRIVATE HOUSING TO TAKE UP THE VACANCIES THUS CREATED.
+NEW TENANCIES IN PUBLIC HOUSING SHOULD BE OF 10 YEARS DURATION AND TERMINATED OR EXTENDED ACCORDING TO THE THEN PREVAILING FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TENANT.+
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PROPOSED RENT-INCOME RATIO ONLY A GUIDELINE
*****
THE SETTING OF A 15 PER CENT MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO IS ONLY A GUIDELINE AND IT IS NOT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S INTENTION TO BRING ALL RENTS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS UP TO THIS LIMIT.
THIS ASSURANCE CAME FROM THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE HOUSING REPORTS CONCERNING DOMESTIC RENT POLICY AND HOUSING SUBSIDY.
MR CHEUNG, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO TYPES OF REACTIONS TO THE PROPOSED RATIO.
HE SAID GROUPS REPRESENTING PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS FELT THAT THE 15 PER CENT RATIO WAS TOO HIGH AS MANY TENANTS IN OLDER HOUSING ESTATES WERE AT PRESENT PAYING A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PROPORTION OF THEIR INCOME AS RENT AND FEARED THAT THEIR RENTS WOULD BE RAISED TO THE 15 PER CENT LEVEL.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS A LESS VOCAL GROUP WHO THOUGHT THE PROPOSED RATIO WAS TOO LOW BECAUSE RENT LEVELS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING IN OTHER COUNTRIES WERE HIGHER, HE SAID.
/MR CHEUNG