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Rooftop occupants urged to co-operate
The Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, today (Saturday) appealed again to rooftop occupants of Kingland Apartments affected by the Buildings Department's enforcement action to co-operate with the Housing Department on rehousing arrangements.
"Clearly, it is in the interests of the rooftop occupants to accept the type of rehousing for which they are eligible. To do otherwise will only delay the rehousing process, and in any case will not change their eligibility status. We already have well established procedures to rehouse those affected by the Buildings Department's demolition action," he said.
"It is the Government's policy to offer rehousing to those in need prior to any clearance or demolition. Under the policy, no one would be made homeless," Mr Wong reiterated.
The Buildings Department had issued a Notice of Intention last December for demolition of unauthorised rooftop structures in Kingland Apartment..
"Over the past four months, the Housing Department, the Social Welfare Department and the Yau Tsim Mong District Office have been liaising with the residents concerned with a view to rehousing them before the Buildings Department enforces the Closure Order," said Mr Wong.
"Staff of the Housing Branch and the Housing Department have met the residents nine times since mid-January to explain the rehousing policy and to discuss their rehousing arrangements. The residents concerned are well aware of their entitlements and the arrangements made for them under the existing rehousing policy.
"The existing rehousing criteria are reasonable and fair, and should not be changed in favour of a particular group. We do not consider it reasonable to provide immediate rehousing in public rental flats for rooftop occupants who do not satisfy the eligibility criteria. To do so will lead to accusations of 'queue jumping', which is unfair to eligible households now on the Waiting List."