XN000022-1984-09-09 — Page 8

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1984

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DOMESTIC PROPERTIES INCUR HUGE DEFICIT

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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ESTATE WORKING ACCOUNT FOR DOMESTIC PREMISES AGAIN INCURRED A DEFICIT OF $189.7 MILLION IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.

ACCORDING TO THE AUTHORITY'S DOMESTIC WORKING ACCOUNT FOR 1983/84 PUBLISHED TODAY, BOTH THE NEW AND OLDER GROUPS OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES SUFFERED A LOSS OF $25.1 MILLION AND $164.6 MILLION RESPECTIVELY,

+THE DEFICIT IS A SUBSTANTIAL SOAR OVER THE $136 MILLION IN 1982/83,+ SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AUTHORITY.

+BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND RISING MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT COSTS, THE DEFICIT IN THE DOMESTIC PROPERTY ACCOUNT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE YEARS TO COME, DESPITE THE REGULAR BIENNIAL RENT INCREASES.+

HE SAID THE AUTHORITY IS A NON-PROFIT-MAKING ORGANISATION AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN ITS INTENTION TO BRING DOMESTIC RENTS CLOSE TO THE MARKET LEVELS.

FOR YEARS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEFICIT HAVE TO BE COVERED BY THE SURPLUS FROM ITS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WHICH, UNLIKE DOMESTIC PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, ARE NOT SUBSIDISED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

MORE THA TENANTS ALLOCATED PUBLIC HOUSING FLATS

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MORE THAN 8 000 PEOPLE FROM TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MOVING INTO PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING THIS YEAR.

A +TRAWLING+ EXERCISE HAS BEGUN AND SOME 2 200 FLATS IN EIGHT NEW ESTATES ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO APPLICANT THA RESIDENTS, A HOUSING DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED TODAY.

+TRAWLING,✦ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IS A MEANS OF DECANTATION WHEREBY ESTATE FLATS ARE ALLOCATED TO ELIGIBLE THA FAMILIES.

+THA RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY ON THE GENERAL WAITING LIST AND WHO MEET THE CRITERIA OF INCOME LIMIT, LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN THA AND IN HONG KONG, MUST MAKE A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR THE NEW UNITS IN THE DESIGNATED ESTATES.

/+ALLOCATION WILL.