XN000022-1972-10-25 — Page 6

Wednesday, October 25, 1972

Not only homes will be required.

Roade to the new towns will be

needed, and schools, clinics, police stations, welfare buildings, parks and

playgrounds must be built and work provided if the towns are to be made

pleasant and acceptable places to live in.

The spokesman said that the target figure had been arrived at by

assessing the number of people who would require housing now to meet the

main objectives,

This figure was 940,000, comprising 320,000 squatters or occuptants

of licensed areas. 60,000 occupants of cottage areas, 430,000 tenants of

resettlement estates involved in renewal schemes or so over crowded that

they need larger aocommodation, 80,000 unsatisfactorily housed in some new

Territories towns and marine population of 50,000 requiring rehousing ashore,

including boat squatters.

In addition, an allowance must also be made for those people who

are at present adequately housed in Government housing, but who will become

inadequately housed during the ten-year period because of population growth.

This is expected to be 200,000.

Finally, an element for the expected shortfall in the private sector must be taken into account. The total population in housing in the private sector on April 1, 1973 is estimated to be 1,820,000 of whom 310,000 require rehousing

if each household is to have a self-contained dwelling.

Taking into account the estimated 18.5 per cent population growth and

the net gain of 500,000 spaces expected in the private sector over this 10-year

period, there is likely to be a shortfall of 148,000 spaces for which provision has

been made in the grand target of 1.8 million spaces.

This target is aimed principally at the urban areas but in addition

rehousing for many thousands living in poor conditions in the New Territories will

be needed.

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