XN000022-1975-10-01 — Page 13

HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY ƒBSAO

PRESS

RELEASE

新聞稿

Wednesday, October 1, 1975

HOUSING PROGRAMME MUST MOVE ON AS FAST AS POSSIBLE,

SAYS HOUSING AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN

The ten-year housing programme should press ahead as fast as

finances and other constraints permits, says Mr. Ian Lightbody, Chairman

of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, in his annual report for 1974/75

which was tabled in the Legislative Council today.

In his review of the year's activities. Mr. Lightbody said this

was evident as Hong Kong's population is always running ahead of the

available housing.

He said if the hundreds of thousands of other families now living

in sub-standard housing, often at excessively high rents, are to enjoy

public housing, the Authority must look to existing tenants for an

increasing contribution.

The chairman pointed out that to meet the expanding housing

programme, the Authority has to compete with other important social

programmes for the very large sums of money which have to be borrowed

from the Government.

Speaking on the building programme, Mr. Lightbody said construction was going ahead on ten new estates and detailed design work was being

completed on nine others at the end of the financial year.

Apart from building estates, the Housing Authority was also

looking into the possibility of raising the amenity standards.

"The new