CO129-627-3 Housing project- contains drawings 1-2-1951 - 31-10-1951 — Page 26

54403/16/51

слонк

1/3

HONG KONG

BUILDING OF FLATS PILOT SCHEME

GRANT OF £13,500

27

C.D.W.(D)No. 2035

A large proportion of the population of the Colony lives in conditions of appalling overcrowding and squalor. These conditions are

In the to a large extent caused by the influx of refugees from China. course of discussions held with the Secretary of State in the summer of 1950 the Governor of Hong Kong made clear that since he considered the provision of adequate housing, particularly for the lower paid sections of the community, one of the most important development needs of the Colony he intended to devote a large part of Hong Kong's Colonial Development and Welfare allocation of £1,000,000 to this aspect of development work. In his despatch No. 352 of 28th December, 1950, in which he discussed in some detail Hong Kong's housing problem and the possible lines of a solution, the Secretary of State welcomed the Governor's decision to use a large part of the available Colonial Development and Welfare assistance on housing development and undertook to consider sympathetically any schemes which might be put forward in this connection; he emphasised, however, that the available Colonial Development and Welfare money should not be looked upon simply as money available to build so many houses but rather as money available to set in motion some much larger development more consonant with the very great needs of the Colony.

2.

The Governor has now replied to the Secretary of State's despatoh No. 352 and in his despatch No. 14 of 10th February, 1951, has agreed in general terms with the proposals made for tackling Hong Kong's housing problem. Broadly these proposals look to the eventual establishment of ⚫ an Improvement Trust having considerable unofficial representation on it, although financially under Government control, which would be responsible for housing projects in the Colony; this Trust would aim at making its projects self-supporting over aperiod of years and it would raise money

This follows the lines which were to meet its initial outlay by loan. adopted and have developed over a period of years with such success in Singapore where the Singapore Improvement Trust has been responsible for a very considerable increase in the standards of accommodation enjoyed by many of Singapore's citizens.

3. It is, however, clearly not possible for a major step like the establishment of an Improvement Trust to be undertaken all at once. For this reason it was suggested to the Governor of Hong Kong that in order to gain experience a pilot scheme on a comparatively small scale should be undertaker. In his despatch No. 14 of 10th February the Governor has given details of a pilot scheme involving the erection of 370 small flats in eight blocks on two sites conveniently situated for the large industrial areas of Shamshuipo and Lai Chi Kok which they are intended to serve; 180 of the flats will be on one site and 190 on the other. The intention is to construct two groups of four blocks of five- storeyed flats containing varying numbers of tenements according to their size. These flats, which will be built for the lower-income groups, will not only provide improved living conditions for the actual tenants, but will indirectly benefit others by relieving congestion elsewhere and may be expected to encourage employers to embark on similar schemes for their employees.

140