XN000022-1977-10-12 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1977

BOAT SQUATTERS URGED TO APPLY FOR HOUSING IN THE NORMAL WAY ******

THE GOVERNMENT VIEWS WITH GREAT CONCERN THE UNSATISFACTORY LIVING CONDITIONS OF MANY BOAT SQUATTERS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. ALAN SCOTT, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HOWEVER AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT MUST ALSO HAVE REGARD TO THE HOUSING NEEDS OF OTHER FAMILIES FROM DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

MR. SCOTT SAID: IT WOULD, I THINK, BE MUCH RESENTED BY CITIZENS WHO ARE WAITING THEIR TURN ON THE WAITING LIST, IF BOAT SQUATTERS WERE OFFERED PUBLIC OR TEMPORARY HOUSING ON A WHOLESALE BASIS IN PREFERENCE TO OTHER CATEGORIES.+

HE WAS REPLYING TO MRS. KWAN KO SIU-WAH, WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAD SPECIFIC PLANS TO REHOUSE BOAT SQUATTERS LIVING IN DILAPIDATED AND UNSEAWORTHY BOATS, PARTICULARLY IN YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER.

MR. SCOTT SAID THAT IN LAST FINANCIAL YEAR 54 BOAT SQUATTERS WERE REHOUSED AND 250 OTHERS PROVIDED WITH TEMPORARY HOUSING.

ALREADY THIS YEAR, 258 BOAT DWELLERS HAD MOVED INTO TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND 57 OTHERS INTO TRANSIT CENTRES, AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT ALTOGETHER 2,400 WOULD BE OFFERED ACCOMMODATION UNDER THE CLEARANCE QUOTA.

MR. SCOTT STRESSED THAT BOAT SQUATTERS HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHOUSING AS LAND SQUATTERS IN THAT THEY WERE ENTITLED TO REGISTER ON THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S WAITING LIST TO OBTAIN PUBLIC HOUSING.

+I AM ADVISED THAT RELATIVELY FEW BOAT SQUATTERS HAVE APPLIED OR SEEM TO HAVE THE INTENTION OF APPLYING FOR PUBLIC OR TEMPORARY HOUSING IN THIS, THE NORMAL, WAY, HE SAID.

+ WOULD THEREFORE URGE ALL BOAT SQUATTERS WHO WISH TO MOVE TO APPLY IN THE NORMAL WAY.+

CONCERNING THE YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER, MR. SCOTT SAID IT WAS PROPOSED TO CONSTRUCT A NEW BREAKWATER IN MID-1980 AND TO RECLAIM THE EXISTING SHELTER TOWARDS THE END OF 1982.

IN THE MEANTIME, SUITABLE MEASURES WOULD BE TAKEN BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TO CONTROL THE SITUATION.

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