XN000022-1974-05-08 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1974.

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THE HOUSING

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ACCOMMODATION FOR 54,0: IN RESERVE

DEPARTMENT HAS RESERVED ACCOMMODATION FOR ABOUT 54,000 PEOPLE TO MEET CERTAIN COMMITMENTS ARISING OVER THE NEXT.12 MONTHS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. IAN LIGHTBODY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. ANN TSE-KAI ON THE NUMBER OF VACANT UNITS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THIS RESERVE CAPACITY WOULD BE TAKEN UP AT THE RATE OF ABOUT 6,000 PEUPLE MONTHLY DURING THIS PERIOD.

VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS, THE BIGGEST ONE BEING FAMILIES NADE HOMELESS BY DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES, FOR WHOM SOME 35,000 SPACES WERE EARMARKED.

OTHER CATEGORIES, HE SAID, INCLUDED FAMILIES LOSING THEIR HOMES WHEN DANGEROUS OLD TENEMENTS ARE CLOSED BY GOVERNMENT ORDER. FAMILIES INVOLVED IN URBAN RENEWAL SCHEMES, AND THOSE MADE HOMELESS BY FIRES OR NATURAL DISASTER.

EXPLAINING THE POLICY ON RESERVING THESE UNITS, MR. LIGHT- BODY SAID: +WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS 'CONSISTENTLY GIVEN PUBLIC HOUSING TO FAMILIES MADE HOMELESS IN THESE VARIOUS WAYS AND IT WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE TO DENY THEM THIS HELP NOW, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF DEVELOPMENT. CLEARANCES WHERE HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF HAVE THE UNPLEASANT TASK OF KNOCKING DOWN HUTS THAT HAVE BEEN HOME TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOR MANY YEARS PAST.

+IF PUBLIC HOUSING WERE NOT OFFERED IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE DEPARTMENT'S LONG RECORD OF FRICTION-FREE CLEARANCES WOULD DISAPPEAR OVERNIGHT, AND EVERY-CLEARANCE WOULD BRING NEW CONFRONTATIONS AND DANGERS.+

HE ADDED THAT IN AN IDEAL SITUATION WHERE NEW ESTATE BLOCKS WERE BEING COMPLETED AT INTERVALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THIS SITUATION WOULD NOT ARISE.

+BUT OUR SITUATION IS VERY FAR FROM IDEAL AND APART FROM OI MAN ESTATE THERE IS VERY LITTLE NEW PUBLIC HOUSING BEING COMPLETED DURING THE NEXT TEN MONTHS OR SO.

+HENCE WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BRING FORWARD VACANT *ACCOMMODATION FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S PRODUCTION. IN DUE COURSE, OUR PUBLIC HOUSING BUILDING PROGRAMME WILL SPARE US FROM HAVING TO RESORT TO EXPEDIENTS OF THIS KIND -- BUT IT NEEDS TIME TO BUILD UP.+

HE ALSO ASSURED, THE COUNCIL THAT THESE RESERVATIONS WOULD BE KEPT CONTINUALLY AND CLOSELY UNDER REVIEU SO THAT ANY EMPTY UNITS THAT WOULD NOT BE NELDED DUE TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES COULD BE ALLOCATED AS S001 AS POSSIBLE.

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