XN000022-1984-08-26 — Page 6

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 1984

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MORE MARRIED COUPLES BENEFIT FROM +ADVANCE BOOKING+

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MORE ELIGIBLE MARRIED COUPLES HAVE MADE USE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S +ADVANCE BOOKING SCHEME AS A QUICKER MEANS OF APPLYING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.

THE SCHEME, DESIGNED TO HELP SOLVE THE HOUSING NEED OF TWO-MEMBER FAMILIES, GIVES THEM PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING UPON NATURAL FAMILY GROWTH AND WHEN THEIR TURN MATURES ON THE WAITING LIST.

+IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 8 289 TWO-MEMBER FAMILIES LODGED THEIR HOUSING BID UNDER THE SCHEME, REPRESENTING A 85 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE 4 467 IN 1977 WHEN IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED,+ SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AUTHORITY TODAY.

ALTHOUGH PUBLIC HOUSING IS NORMALLY ALLOCATED TO FAMILIES OF AT LEAST THREE PERSONS, THE SCHEME ALLOWS THOSE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE TO REGISTER ON THE WAITING LIST IN ANTICIPATION OF NATURAL GROWTH.

+THESE APPLICANTS WILL BECOME INITIALLY QUALIFIED WHEN THEY HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO CHILDREN.

+WHEN THEIR TURN COMES UP ON THE WAITING LIST, APART FROM HAVING A MINIMUM OF THREE MEMBERS, THESE FAMILIES WILL ALSO HAVE TO MEET THE INCOME AND SPACE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA UPON ALLOCATION OF ESTATE FLATS.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS ARRANGEMENT HAD ALREADY BENEFITED THOUSANDS OF MARRIED COUPLES, MOST OF THEM NEWLY WEDS, AS ADVANCE APPLICATION MEANT EARLY ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING.

+IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE SCHEME HAS BECOME POPULAR AND AN INCREASING NUMBER OF SMALL FAMILIES HAVE BENEFITED.

+SINCE THE START OF THE SCHEME, A TOTAL OF 52 149 FAMILIES HAVE APPLIED, AND MOST OF THEM HAVE SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED AND MOVED INTO ESTATE FLATS.

+AT PRESENT, THERE ARE STILL 18 630 SUCH VALID APPLICATIONS, + HE SAID.

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