XN000022-1974-11-13 — Page 8

- 7

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974

HOUSING PROGRAMME FORGES AHEAD

ESTATE HOME OWNERSHIP QUESTION TO BE RECONSIDERED ******

THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. IAN LIGHTBODY, TODAY DISPELLED RUMOURS THAT THE HOUSING PROGRAMME WAS IN ANY WAY SLOWING DOWN.

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THAT +TODAY CONTRACT WORK IS PROCEEDING ON 11 ESTATES TO HOUSE UP TO 270,000 PEOPLE THESE ESTATES WILL COST ABOUT $900 MILLION, THE BULK OF THEM WILL BE FINISHED IN 1976 AND ALL WILL BE COMPLETED BY 1978.+

LOOKING BEYOND THIS, HE SAID, DESIGN WORK ON A FURTHER NINE ESTATES, FOR UP TO 150,000 PEOPLE, HAS REACHED AN ADVANCED STAGE AND CONTRACTS FOR A NUMBER OF THESE WILL BE LET IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

THE MAJORITY OF THESE WILL BE READY FOR OCCUPATION IN 1978 AND THE REMAINDER WILL BE COMPLETED BY 1979.

MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THIS PROGRAMME INCLUDED A CONTRACT LET EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOR A NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATE AT TUEN MUN FOR 26,000 PEOPLE AND ANOTHER CONTRACT LET LAST MONTH FOR AN ESTATE ON TSING YI ISLAND FOR A SIMILAR NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

+OUR PRIMARY TASK IS TO KEEP THE BUILDING PROGRAMME MOVING AHEAD AS FAST AS WE CAN, AND IF THIS CAN BE DONE THEN MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WILL FALL INTO PLACE,+ HE ADDED.

ON THE PROPOSITION THAT PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BUY THEIR FLATS BY INSTALMENTS, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THIS COULD BE +POPULAR AS WELL AS SOCIOLOGICALLY SOUND+.

HE SAID THE QUESTION WAS CONSIDERED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND IT WAS FELT THEN THAT, APART FROM THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL PROBLEMS INHERENT IN THE SALE OF UNITS, THE LIMITED SUPPLY OF PUBLIC HOUSING BECOMING AVAILABLE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE MADE THE SCHEME UNSUITABLE.

AS TO THE BENEFITS THIS COULD BRING TO THE AUTHORITY'S FINANCIAL POSITION WHICH WAS MENTIONED BY TWO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS MR. LIGHTBODY POINTED OUT THAT THE AUTHORITY CATERS FOR FAMILIES EARNING LESS THAN $1,400 PER MONTH ($2,000 PER MONTH FOR LARGER FAMILIES) AND MANY OF THEM IN THE LOWER INCOME GROUPS WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO AFFORD THE PURCHASE PAYMENTS.

+ONE THING ONLY IS CERTAIN ABOUT THIS PROPOSITION, AND THAT IS THAT THE STRENGTH OF FEELING OF THOSE WHO FAVOUR IT IS WELL MATCHED BY THE EQUALLY STRONG CONVICTIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE TOTALLY AGAINST IT.

/NONETHELESS,

J