XN000022-1976-11-10 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1976.

NEW HOMES FOR 580,000 PEOPLE BY 1981

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BUILDING WORK IS NOW GOING AHEAD ON 11 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES TO HOUSE ABOUT 200,000 PEOPLE, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR. JAN LIGHTBODY, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

ALSO, HE SAID, CONTRACT PLANNING WAS IN HAND FOR 16 OTHER SCHEMES TO BE COMPLETED BY 1981 AT THE LATEST AND TO HOUSE A FURTHER 380,000 PEOPLE.

DISCUSSING HOUSING STANDARDS IN THESE FUTURE ESTATES, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID: IT SEEMS TO ME THE TIME HAS COME TO ABANDON THE SPACE STANDARD OF 35 SQUARE FEET OF NET LIVEABLE AREA PER HEAD, AND TO GO FOR THE 50 SQUARE FOOT STANDARD WHICH THE AUTHORITY DECIDED ON IN LATE 1973 BUT WHICH HAD TO BE DEFERRED BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION AND FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTIES.

+AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE RENTS FOR THESE IMPROVED FLATS WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE MEANS OF THE AUTHORITY'S TENANTS.+

ON HOUSING IN GENERAL, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME HAD PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE LAST 20 YEARS IN CREATING +A SETTLED AND CONTENTED COMMUNITY.+

HE SAID: + IT HAS OPERATED AS A MAJOR AGENT FOR SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT, PROVIDING SECURITY OF TENURE FOR UP TO TWO MILL ION PEOPLE AT VÉRY MODEST RENTS.

+ THE SOCIAL SERVICE REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO EXPAND, AND I AM SURE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SOURCE OF STABILITY AND SATISFACTION FOR HONG KONG'S LOWER-INCOME GROUPS.+

MR. LIGHTBODY SAID THAT THE AIM REMAINED TO PROVIDE MODEST BUT DECENT HOUSING, AT RENTS THEY COULD AFFORD, TO THE MANY FAMILIES WHO COULD NOT AFFORD FLATS OF A MINIMUM STANDARD IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY STILL PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SMALL FLATS AT MINUTE RENTS INDEED, IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THESE RENTS, IN THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE OLDER PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH REALITY BY HAVING REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR MANY YEARS, HE SAID.

GIVING PROOF OF THIS POINT, HE SAID 60 PER CENT OF THE AUTHORITY'S FLATS WERE LET AT RENTS BELOW $50 A MONTH, 75 PER CENT AT BELOW $100 AND ABOUT 90 PER CENT AT BELOW $150.

REPEATING THE ASSURANCE GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE COUNCIL LAST MONTH, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID: +FOR THE FUTURE, I CAN GIVE A CATEGORICAL ASSURANCE THAT PUBLIC HOUSING DOMESTIC RENTS WILL ALWAYS REMAIN VERY LOW IN RELATION TO PRIVATE RENTS.+

/MR. LIGHTBODY