XN000022-1979-04-30 — Page 2

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MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1979

OVER ONE MILLION STILL INADEQUATELY HOUSED

SECRETARY FOR HOUSING *****

HONG KONG HAS WELL OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE WHO ARE INADEQUATELY HOUSED, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR. A.J. SCOTT, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE VICTORIA ROTARY CLUB,

THESE PEOPLE WERE EITHER SQUATTERS LIVING IN UNSATISFACTORY TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS OR PEOPLE LIVING IN OVERCROWDED OR SUB-STANDARD CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THOSE STILL IN THE OLDEST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES NOT YET REDEVELOPED.

ADDITIONALLY, THE POPULATION WAS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY MAINLY DUE TO IMMIGRATION, WHILE THE AVERAGE SIZE OF HOUSEHOLDS WAS GROWING SMALLER, HE SAID.

+OBVIOUSLY THIS MAKES THE HOUSING PROGRAMME VERY

IMPORTANT AMONG GOVERNMENT'S SOCIAL PROGRAMMES, BUT EVEN WITH THE RESOURCES BEING APPLIED TO IT, IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO ACHIEVE THE FULL IMPACT GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO, HE SAID.

+THE HOUSING PROGRAMME THAT IS, RENTED FLATS AND THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME WILL OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS HOUSE ABOUT 185,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR, THAT IS OVER A MILLION PEOPLE MORE BY 1985.

+THE 10-YEAR PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED TO BEGIN IN 1973 WILL THUS BE COMPLETED WITHIN 12 YEARS INSTEAD OF 10, DESPITE THE EFFECTS OF THE 1974-75 OIL-INDUCED RECESSION AND DESPITE THE EFFECTS OF THE CURRENT OVERHEATING OF THE ECONOMY AND IN PARTICULAR THE PRESSURE ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.+

TURNING TO CRITICS OF THE HOUSING PROGRAMME, MR. SCOTT SAID: +LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT EVEN BUREAUCRATS HAVE HEARTS AND THAT COMPASSION IS NOT A MONOPOLY OF THE CRITICS.

ON THE YAU MA TEI BOAT SQUATTERS HE SAID THEIR POSITION WAS INDEED DEPLORABLE BUT SO WAS THE POSITION OF THOUSANDS OF LAND SQUATTERS.

+IN TIMES OF STORM, LIVING IN A HUT ON A HILLSIDE IS AS DANGEROUS AS BEING IN A TYPHOON SHELTER, HE SAID.

+LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, 474 FAMILIES WERE REHOUSED AS THE RESULT OF STRUCTURES ON LAND BEING RENDERED UNSAFE BECAUSE OF STORMS, WHEREAS 28 BOAT FAMILIES WERE REHOUSED BECAUSE THEIR BOATS WERE RENDERED UNSAFE BY STORMS.+

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THEREFORE, HE SAID, +ONE MUST ASK THE GROUPS URGING PRIORITY FOR BOAT SQUATTERS, WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR PUTTING THEM IN FRONT OF LAND SQUATTERS?

+HOW COULD THEY -- OR I AND MY STAFF

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EXPLAIN SUCH A

CHANGE IN PRIORITIES TO THE LAND SQUATTERS LIVING ON OR NEAR DANGEROUS SLOPES?+ MR. SCOTT ASKED.

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