XN000022-1975-02-20 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1975

+THIS IS BASICALLY UNSATISFACTORY AND DOES NOT WORK AS WELL AS SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS DO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHERE THERE IS A PRINCIPAL TENANT TO HOLD THE RING, AS IT WERE,* MR. LIGHTBODY SAID.

+ IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC GOOD, AND OF MAKING THE BEST USE OF HOUSING AUTHORITY FLATS, THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE STRONG ARGUMENTS FOR ALLOCATING THEM TO LARGER FAMILIES RATHER THAN HAVING THEM SHARED IN THIS WAY.

+IT IS THE LARGER FAMILY WHICH FACES THE GREATEST PROBLEMS IN FINDING ACCOMMODATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND IT IS THE SMALL GROUP WHICH FINDS IT EASIEST TO MAKE ITS OWN WAY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE STRESSED.

MR. LIGHTBODY POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT ECONOMIC TO BUILD FLATS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR SMALL HOUSEHOLDS +BECAUSE HAVING BUILT THE KITCHEN AND TOILET WHICH REPRESENT A LARGE PART OF THE TOTAL BUILDING COST, IT IS NOT SENSIBLE TO ATTACH THEM TO A VERY SMALL LIVING AREA DESIGNED FOR ONE OR TWO PERSONS.+

MORE ATTENTION, HE SAID, WAS BEING GIVEN TO FORMING MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN ESTATES SO AS TO HELP HOUSING STAFF TO GET A BETTER PICTURE OF ESTATE PROBLEMS AND PRIORITIES, AS SEEN BY TENANTS, AND TO SECURE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF TENANTS IN IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT IN ESTATES.

HE ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THEIR EFFORT IN PROMOTING WHAT PERHAPS IS HONG KONG'S BIGGEST SOCIAL PROGRAMME. THE AUTHORITY COSISTS OF 20 MEMBERS - 13 PRIVATE CITIZENS AND SEVEN OFFICIALS. THE AUTHORITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PUBLIC HOUSING AND ADVISES THE GOVERNMENT ON HOUSING POLICIES GENERALLY.

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