XN000022-1977-12-21 — Page 24

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1977

REHOUSING POLICY APPLIES TO BOAT DWELLERS *****

ACCOMMODATION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY OFFERED TO DWELLERS IN BOATS WHICH ARE EITHER AFFECTED BY DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES OR CONSIDERED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TO BE IN SUCH A CONDITION THAT THEY MAY BE RENDERED HOMELESS AT SHORT NOTICE, THE HON. ALAN SCOTT, SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HE SAID THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING POLICY IN REGARD TO REHOUSING OTHER GROUPS SUCH AS ROOFTOP SQUATTERS, TENEMENT DWELLERS AND LAND SQUATTERS.

MR. SCOTT WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. MRS. KWAN KO SIU-WAH WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER REVIEWING THE OVERALL SITUATION OF BOAT SQUATTERS WITH A VIEW TO MEETING THE VARIOUS SPECIAL NEEDS AND THE PROBLEMS OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP FOR REHOUSING AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE THE IR ASSIMILATION INTO THE COMMUNITY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT MANY FAMILIES AMONG THESE VARIOUS GROUPS, WHO WERE NOT AFFECTED BY PUBLIC WORKS OR EMERGENCIES, WERE LIVING

IN UNSATISFACTORY LIVING CONDITIONS.

+THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TRIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE GROUPS IN AS BALANCED AND EQUITABLE A WAY AS IT CAN,+ MR. SCOTT SAID.

AS FAR AS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL WELFARE, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND MEDICAL SERVICES WERE CONCERNED, MR. SCOTT SAID BOAT SQUATTERS HAD ACCESS TO ALL THESE SERVICES ON LAND.

+THEIR NEEDS FOR THESE SERVICES DO NOT APPEAR TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM LAND. DWELLERS, AND THEY ARE THEREFORE, TREATED IN THE SAME WAY AS ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

+ IT IS APPRECIATED THAT BOAT SQUATTERS HAVE THEIR OWN PARTICULAR BACKGROUND IN HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC TERMS, BUT IT IS NOT CONSIDERED THAT THIS JUSTIFIES SPECIAL PRIORITY IN RELATION TO THE OTHER GROUPS I HAVE MENTIONED, MR. SCOTT SAID.

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