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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1988
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"IN REVISING RENTS, TILE AUTHORITY HAS TAKEN TENANTS' AFFORDABILITY INTO CONSIDERATION, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE PER CENT MEDIAN RENT/INCOME RATIO AS RECOMMENDED BY THE DOMESTIC RENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE,' THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
"AFTER THE REVISION, THE INCREASE FOR 99 FER CENT OF THESE TENANTS WILL RANGE FROM $14 TO $125 A MONTH, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF THREE TO 18 PER CENT OF THEIR EXISTING RENTS.
"THE NEW AVERAGE RENTS ARE ESTIMATED TO REPRESENT ONLY 10.3 PER CENT OF THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF THE TENANTS CONCERNED, AND WILL REMAIN CONSIDERABLY BELOW RENT LEVELS PAYABLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
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NEW INCLUSIVE RENT LEVELS WILL REMAIN REASONABLE AT $12.58 то $22.80 A SQUARE METRE, COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT $10.50 TO $21.24 A SQUARE METRE.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE LAST RENT REVIEW, RATES HAVE BEEN INCREASED ON AN AVERAGE OF 14.3 PER CENT FOLLOWING THE PHASING OUT OF THE RATES RELJEF SCHEME IN APRIL 1987 AND THE GENERAL REVALUATION OF ALL DOMESTIC PROPERTIES IN THE TERRITORY IN APRIL 1988.
THE TOTAL ADDITIONAL RATES OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF ESTATES PAYABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN APRIL 1987 AND AUGUST 1988 WILL AMOUNT TO $30.5 MILLION.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT OTHER FACTORS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE BIENNIAL RENT REVIEW INCLUDED ESTATE VALUE AND RATE OF INFLATION.
"THE ESTATES ARE AMONG THE NEWEST OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATES, AND ARE PROVIDED WITH MODERN FACILITIES AND SERVED BY A WIDE RANGE OF COMMERCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES COMPARABLE TO THE LATEST ESTATES," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE RATE OF INFLATION DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS RISEN BY 10.5 PER CENT AND THE EXISTING RENT LEVELS OF THESE ESTATES REPRESENT ONLY 17 TO 38 PER CENT OF THE ASSESSED CURRENT MARKET VALUE.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID TENANTS WILL BE INFORMED TODAY OF THE NEW RENTS AND RATES TOGETHER WITH AN EXPLANATORY NOTE.
HE ADDED THAT TENANTS WITH FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY MAY APPLY FOR TRANSFER TO CHEAPER FLATS, ESTATE STAFF WILL ALSO REFER THEIR CASES TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE.
/THE FOLLOWING