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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994
THE GOVERNMENT IS STARTING TO GET RID OF TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS. BY 1997, EVERYONE LIVING IN A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA AT THE END OF LAST YEAR WOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE OFFER OF REHOUSING. BY MARCH 1996, ALL URBAN SQUATTERS ON GOVERNMENT LAND WOULD HAVE BEEN OFFERED REHOUSING.
ON CURBING HIGH PROPERTY PRICES, ME PATTEN SAID A TASK FORCE ON LAND SUPPLY AND PROPERTY PRICES WAS SET UP TO IDENTIFY HOW THE GOVERNMENT COULD ASSIST THE PROPERTY SECTOR TO RETURN TO MORE STABLE PRICES AND MORE ORDERLY TRADING CONDITIONS.
THE TASK FORCE PRODUCED A PACKAGE OF MEASURES DESIGNED TO CURB SPECULATION, TO ELIMINATE BOTTLENECKS, REDUCE BUREAUCRACY AND, GENERALLY, TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTION OF NEW FLATS IN BOTH THE PRIVATE AND THE PUBLIC SECTORS.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE ACCEPTED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION, INCLUDED PROVISION OF AN EXTRA 70 HECTARES OF LAND FOR HOUSING BEFORE 1997/98 SUBJECT TO THE AGREEMENT OF THE LAND COMMISSION, PROVISION OF SUFFICIENT LAND FOR THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROJECT ACTION TEAM TO ATTEND TO PROBLEMS IN THE PROCESSING OF NEW HOUSING PROJECTS AND THE CREATION OF A NEW POLICY BRANCH TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSING MATTERS.
MR PATTEN SAID THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ENCOURAGED A WELCOME SLACKENING OF THE PRICE SPIRAL.
**THE BEST LONG-TERM CONTRIBUTION THE GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE TO ENSURING THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS TO BOOST THE SUPPLY OF NEW FLATS TO MATCH DEMAND.
"WE SHALL ACHIEVE OUR GOAL THROUGH PURSUING WELL-MANAGED INVESTMENT AND CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES, TO WHICH THE PRIVATE SECTOR WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION," HE SAID.
IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO DO THE FOLLOWING BEFORE APRIL 2001:
*
TO HELP THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PRODUCE 195,000 NEW FLATS INCREASE OF 15,000 OVER THE PREVIOUS TARGET), ACCELERATING THE FORMATION OF SITES AND THE DEVELOPMENT
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE;
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TO HELP AN ADDITIONAL 180,000 FAMILIES TO BUY THEIR OWN HOMES BY PROVIDING SUBSIDISED HOUSING OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; AND
то PRODUCE AT LEAST 310,000 NEW FLATS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (AN INCREASE OF 30,000 OVER THE PREVIOUS TARGET).
IN STRESSING THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO HOUSING, MR PATTEN SAID: "I WANT TO ASSURE THIS COUNCIL THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO HIGHER PRIORITY THAN MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S HOUSING NEEDS.
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