XN000022-1976-08-15 — Page 4

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 1976

106 FAMILIES ACCEPT RE-HOUSING TO MOVE

FROM TAI ON MANSION AND NEARBY RESUMED BUILDING

******

A TOTAL OF 106 FAMILIES OF DOMESTIC TENANTS LIVING AT TAI ON MANSION, NOS 2-4 TAI PO ROAD, AND A SECOND BUILDING AT 205-205A SAI YEUNG CHOI STREET, SHAM SHUI PO, HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED OR INDICATED THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT PUBLIC RE-HOUSING, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

THIS REPRESENTED ABOUT 80 PER CENT OF THE FAMILIES LIVING IN THE TWO BUILDINGS.

+DOMESTIC TENNANTS AMONG THESE PEOPLE ARE TO GET EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION OF ABOUT $20 PER SQUARE FOOT FOR LIVING

SAID

ACCOMMODATION AND LESS FOR KITCHENS, TOILETS, BALCONIES AND STORAGE AREAS, PROVIDED THESE ARE NOT SHARED WITH OTHER FAMILIES, THE SPOKESMAN.

+HALF OF THIS AMOUNT WILL PAID TO THEM IN ADVANCE AND THE BALANCE WHEN THEY LEAVE THE IR PREMISES.

+THE MONEY PAID IN ADVANCE WILL ENABLE THEM TO PAY THE COST OF REMOVAL AND OTHER EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH MOVING INTO THEIR NEW HOMES.

+THUS THEY HAVE TAKEN A REALISTIC ATTITUDE TO THE FACT THAT THEY MUST VACATE THEIR PREMISES TO MAKE WAY FOR TUNNELLING WORKS FOR THE MASS TRANSIT.

+ALSO THEY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S OFFER OF EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION AND RE-HOUSING FOR THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR IT.+

THE SPOKESMAN REPEATED THAT TAI ON MANSION AND 205-205A SAI YEUNG CHOI STREET WOULD HAVE TO BE VACATED BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 AND THAT THERE DEFINITELY WOULD BE NO POSTPONEMENT OF THE RESUMPTIONS.

+ THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN SPECIAL STEPS TO GIVE EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION TO THE COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC TENANTS OF SUCH POST-WAR BUILDINGS REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.

+THOSE TENANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED RE-HOUSING HAVE TAKEN A REALISTIC ATTITUDE AND IT IS HOPED THAT THE REMAINING DOMESTIC TENANTS, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL TENANTS AND OWNER-OCCUPIERS INVOLVED, TAKE A SIMILAR ATTITUDE AND ACCEPT THE FAIR TERMS AND SPECIAL TREATMENT BEING OFFERED TO THEM.+