CO129-612-1 Police Department- petition from European memebers of Inspectorate 21-1-1947 - 17-2-1948 — Page 124

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Memorandum regarding living conditions and accommodation in Hong Kong.

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Europan type of accommodation in Feng ng and Kowloon has suffered heavily during the Japanese occupation, chief y due to extensive looting.

icial estimates place the number of European type of houses destroyed rendered uninhabitable at 70% of those available for ocupation in 1941. 16,000 Chinese tenements have similarly been rendered uninhabitable.

2. In the majority of looted houses there is mery little structural damage but all woodwork and fittings have been r moved and the houses are empty cells. The shortage of timber and bui ding materials which is world-wide and the local shortage of skilled labour hate seriously handi- capped attempts a repair and it is probable that very few European type houses wil be rendered habitable within the next six months..

The housing shortage has been accentuated by the necessit for finaing accommodation for the Services, many of whose barracks have been estro ed, and by the heavy inf oz of Chinese returning to the Colony or coming from the less stable parts of China. The resultent pressure on avaisable accommodation is so intense that it is almost impossible for new ar ivals to rent private quarters. Landlords are not allowed to evict present tenants in favour of pre-war tenants ven though the latter vere olients of long standing.

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4 The Hong Kong, Peninsula and Gloucester Hotels will be o erated commercial y. but ander a form of Government control which is likely to continue for some time. B sness men and Government oicials returning to the Colony have some as urance of a bare minumum of accommodation in these three hotels or in o her hostals which will be o ened in due course It is unlikely that an, of them wi. 1 have rooms o themselves and in some ceses there will be as many as six men to a hotel suite. No such asuurance of Government assistance in finding accommodation can however, be given in the case of families and where Government controlled accommodation is available oarantee can be given that it will be nossible to bi let hushands end wives together.

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5. Certain requisitioned houses are being retained by Government for use as hostels. Bedrooms will be shared, he number of common rooms c. t down to a minimum and frniture will be of a decidedly utility nature, These hostels will be available not only for Government officials but also for essential business men and will be allocated on a priority basis to be arranged. Government quarters are in the process of being epaired, but shortare of materials renders the process slow. Alloca ion of these to Government servants will also be on a priority basis.

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