XN000022-1980-04-16 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980

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+THE AVERAGE WAITING TIME HAS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY TO SEVEN YEARS, OR TO FIVE YEARS FOR FAMILIES WHO ACCEPT HOUSING IN TUEN MUN, HE ADDED.

ON HOME OWNERSHIP MR SCOTT SAID HE WOULD AGREE THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE SHOULD BE DONE TO ASSIST FAMILIES TO BUY THEIR OWN HOMES, +IN THIS CONNECTION, HE SAID, +GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY COMMITTED TO A PROGRAMME OF OVER 40 000 FLATS BY 1985/86 UNDER THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FOR FAMILIES WITH MONTHLY INCOMES UP TO $5 000.+

TURNING TO HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY, MR SCOTT SAID THAT WHILE THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS TO PROVIDE HOMES FOR FAMILIES, THE AUTHORITY WAS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE HOUSING PROBLEMS WHICH MANY ELDERLY SINGLE PEOPLE AND COUPLES FACED, AND WAS COMMITTED TO AN EXPANDING HOSTEL PROGRAMME WHICH BY 1986 WOULD PROVIDE 5 000 PLACES.

+SINGLE ELDERLY PERSONS MAY ALSO ENTER PUBLIC HOUSING THROUGH THE COMPASSIONATE QUOTA, ON RECOMMENDATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE OR THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES- AND THROUGH A SCHEME INTRODUCED LAST SEPTEMBER, GROUPS OF THREE OR MORE UNRELATED ELDERLY PERSONS MAY APPLY FOR HOUSING THROUGH THE WAITING LIST,+ MR SCOTT ADDED.

AS REGARDS TEMPORARY HOUSING, MR SCOTT SAID HE SHARED THE CONCERN ABOUT SITES FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING AND THE WORRY WHETHER THE $36.5 MILLION INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATES FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING PURPOSES WOULD BE ENOUGH.

+THE SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC HOUSING, BOTH PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY, IN THE URBAN AREA MEANS INEVITABLY THAT INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ELIGIBLE ONLY FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING ARE HAVING TO MOVE TO THE NEW TOWN AREAS, MR SCOTT SAID.

THERE ARE 97 000 PERSON SPACES IN EXISTING TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 1985 DEMAND WILL HAVE INCREASED TO 134 000.

MR SCOTT SAID THE $36.5 MILLION PROVIDED FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR 1980-81 WOULD BE USED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND TO REPLACE EXISTING UNITS WHICH HAD TO BE GIVEN UP AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT.

+DURING THE YEAR, FIVE NEW AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITH A CAPACITY OF 7 800 PERSONS,+ MR SCOTT SAID, ADDING THAT SEPARATE PROVISION OF $14.76 MILLION WAS MADE FOR MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF TEMPORARY HOUSING AND TEMPORARY INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

+MY STAFF IS CONTINUALLY SEARCHING FOR ADDITIONAL SITES FOR FUTURE THA'S. AND AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL GROUP WAS RECENTLY SET UP TO HELP THEM,+ MR SCOTT SAID.

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