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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986
+OBVIOUSLY, IF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY STILL WANTS TO REDEVELOP OLD HOUSING ESTATES AND CONSTRUCT NEW ONES WHILE PART OF ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES - GOVERNMENT LOANS -
-- ARE SHRINKING TO THE EXTENT OF HAVING NONE AT ALL, IT WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE ITS RELIANCE ON THE OTHER FINANCIAL RESOURCE RENTAL INCOME FROM TENANTS, HE SAID.
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HE SAID THAT UNDER THIS CIRCUMSTANCE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD HAVE TO COLLECT HIGHER RENTALS FROM TENANTS OR SLOW DOWN
ITS CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING.
+TO THOSE PEOPLE WITH ACCOMMODATION NEEDS, THIS IS SOMETHING REGRETTABLE, HE SAID.
MR TAM EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE BACKGROUND REASON FOR PUBLISHING THE TWO REPORTS BEING DEBATED WAS TO ALLOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO +EXPLORE NEW RESOURCES AT A QUICKER PACE+ AND TO FACILITATE THE GOVERNMENT IN SHEDDING ITS COMMITMENTS.
+MY COMMENTS ON THE TWO REPORTS ARE THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT THEM IN PRINCIPLE AND THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE
IMPRACTICAL, + HE SAID.
HE SAID THE REPORT ON HOUSING SUBSIDY WAS ONLY DIRECTED AGAINST THE FIVE PER CENT OR SO TENANTS WHO HAD BEEN LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING FLATS FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS.
+THERE ARE LOTS OF PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH APART FROM WASTING A LARGE AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, ALSO CAUSE HARASSMENT TO THE TENANTS,+ HE ADDED.
MR TAM FELT THAT THE PROPOSED POLICY AGAINST +WELL-OFF TENANTS+ WAS, IN FACT, A WASTE OF RESOURCES AND ONE WHICH WOULD CAUSE MORE LOSSES THAN GAINS.
+ INSTEAD OF USING OPPRESSIVE AND NEGATIVE MEANS TO IMPEL THE SO-CALLED WELL-OFF TENANTS' TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO USE POSITIVE AND PERSUASIVE METHODS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURCHASE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS AND VACATE THEIR UNITS VOLUNTARILY, HE SAID.
MR TAM SAID THE PROPOSED DOMESTIC RENT POLICY ALSO GAVE RISE TO A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS.
THE PROPOSED 15 PER CENT MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO CARRIED AN IMPLICATION THAT THE LOWER THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, THE HIGHER WOULD BE ITS RENT TO INCOME RATIO.
AS A RESULT, THOSE WHO WERE ACTUALLY MOST IN NEED HAD NOW BECOME THE VICTIMS OF THE POLICY, HE SAID.
/HE ALSO