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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1987
THE MAJORITY ON THE AD HOC GROUP, HOWEVER, CONCLUDED THAT EVERYTHING CONSIDERED, ESPECIALLY TAKING THE MACRO VIEW ON HOUSING, THE SCHEME WAS WORTH SUPPORTING, AND THE DECISION TO BUY SHOULD REST WITH THE APPLICANT. IT WAS ALSO AGREED THAT THE SCHEME SHOULD BE MADE AS ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO ACHIEVE ITS SUPPLEMENTARY FUNCTION.
SHE ADDED THAT THE GROUP REMAINED UNCERTAIN AS TO HOW FAR THIS PROPOSAL AND THE PROPOSAL TO INTERCHANGE PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING AND HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS WOULD SUCCEED IN NETTING MORE VACANT RENTAL FLATS FOR THE MORE NEEDY, GIVEN THE CONSIDERABLE WASTAGE NECESSARY IN TERMS OF WAITING TIME DURING WHICH RECOVERED UNITS HAD TO REMAIN VACANT PRIOR TO REDEVELOPMENT.
SHE SAID MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC GROUP WERE SENSITIVE
TO PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS' QUERY OVER THE PATTERN AND SCALE OF BOTH DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL RENT INCREASE IN PUBLIC HOUSING IN FUTURE. IT WAS EVIDENT TO MEMBERS ALSO THAT WITH THIS LONG TERM STRATEGY, THERE WAS A PHASING OUT OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE FUNCTION IN HOUSING.
WITH NEW ESTATES COMING ON STREAM AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF OLD ONES, RENT LEVELS MIGHT BE BEYOND THE REACH OF AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE TENANTS. GOVERNMENT SHOULD SPELL OUT CLEARLY MEASURES IT WOULD ADOPT TO ASSIST THIS NEEDY MINORITY, SHE SAID.
APART FROM EXPRESSING THE AD HOC GROUP'S VIEWS, MRS CHOW ALSO MADE KNOWN HER OWN VIEWS ON THE LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY.
SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS IN NO POSITION TO ARGUE THAT THERE WAS ANY INCREASE IN ITS COMMITMENT TO HOUSING UNDER THE REVISED STRATEGY. THE CONTRARY WAS IN FACT TRUE. ELIGIBLE TENANTS ASSISTED TO INCREASE THEIR COMMITMENT TO HOUSING.
WERE BEING
"IN SPITE OF THIS I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS NEW DIRECTION, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT WE ARE A VERY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY FROM WHAT WE WERE WHEN THE EXISTING HOUSING PROGRAMME STARTED IN THE EARLY 70'S, AND NOT ONLY OUR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS BUT THE ENTIRE HONG KONG HAS BENEFITED FROM IT ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, SHE SAID.
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SHE ADDED THAT NOW WAS DEFINITELY THE TIME ΤΟ READJUST BURDENS OF RESPONSIBILITY ACCORDING TO AFFORDABILITY AND NEED. IT THE ONLY FAIR THING TO DO.
SHE SAID HER SUPPORT OF THE HOME PURCHASE LOAN SCHEME WAS TOTALLY UNQUALIFIED. THE REASON THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME CONSIDERED PREFERABLE OVER PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS WAS THAT RIGHTLY WRONGLY, THE QUALITY AND VALUE OF THE FORMER WERE PERCEIVED ΤΟ BETTER.
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/SHE SAID