XN000022-1973-06-06 — Page 18

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Wednesday, June 6, 1973

MORE LICENSED AREAS FOR HOMELESS

Continuous efforts are being made to set up new licensed areas to

meet the needs of homeless people, the Secretary for Housing, the Hon. I.M.

Lightbody, said today.

He told the Legislative Council that some 28,000 new spaces were expected to be available by the end of the year, but even this, he added, would not be enough as there was a backlog of demand for space for some 8,000 people.

Many of these people, he said, were "potentially" rather than

actually homeless as they were living in building scheduled for redevelopment.

Since June last year, he said, four new areas with a capacity for 6,400 people had been brought into use. Another three, with a capacity for

3,300 were expected to be ready in the next two months.

In addition, three more sites with a capacity for 6,500 had been

provisionally allocated but must first be checked for safety by consulting

engineers.

Mr. Lightbody said his department had applied for four more possible sites with a capacity for 12,000 people and it was hoped that these should be ready for use by the end of this year,

He explained that the requirement for more licensed space steamed

from the loss of a number of these areas which were declared unsafe after the

rainstorms last year, and from a significant increase in the number of people

seeking accommodation in licensed areas.

/The current .............