XN000022-1984-11-07 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1984

- 5

HALF OF HK PEOPLE GET PUBLIC HOUSING HELP

*****

HONG KONG WAS ONE OF THE VERY FEW PLACES WHERE THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED SUBSIDISED HOUSING ON SUCH A LARGE SCALE -- FOR ALMOST HALF OF ITS POPULATION, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DONALD LIAO, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

ITS INVESTMENT IN HOUSING HAD BEEN ENORMOUS, AND HAD PROGRESSED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS FROM PROVIDING EMERGENCY HOUSING WITH ONLY THE MOST BASIC ESSENTIALS, TO THE MODERN SELF-CONTAINED ESTATES NOW CONSTRUCTED, WITH A FULL RANGE OF COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL FACILITIES, MR LIAO SAID.

PUBLIC HOUSING PRODUCTION WOULD BE MAINTAINED AT LEAST AT THE CURRENT HIGH LEVEL FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS, MR LIAO SAID THAT WHILE HE AGREED WITH THE HON WONG PO-YAN THAT THE COMMITMENT ON PUBLIC RENTAL

---

—

ACCOMMODATION SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND IT WAS, IN FACT, DONE REGULARLY HE FELT THAT THE CONTINUING HIGH DEMAND REFLECTED IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S LONG WAITING LIST, THE MANY SQUATTERS STILL ON HILLSIDES, AND THE NEED TO REDEVELOP THE OLDER ESTATES, ALL PRECLUDED ANY REDUCTION OF SUPPLY AT THIS TIME.+

THIS HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTION HAD, EARLIER THIS YEAR PROMPTED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO REVIEW THE HOUSING ALLOCATION POLICIES.

THE REVIEW, WHICH INCLUDED CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC, THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS, AND SUPPLEMENTED BY AN INDEPENDENT SURVEY, HAD LED TO CHANGES IN HOUSING ALLOCATION POLICIES WHICH WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE EARLIER EXPRESSED NEED TO TAKE MORE POSITIVE MEASURES+ TO REDUCE PUBLIC SUBSIDY TO TENANTS CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES, MR LIAO SAID THAT THE MATTER WAS NOW BEING CONSIDERED BY A SPECIAL COMMITTEE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE HON F.K. HU. THE COMMITTEE WOULD, IN DUE COURSE, ESTABLISH CRITERIA +TO IDENTIFY THOSE TENANTS WHO CONTINUE TO NEED HOUSING SUBSIDY AND CONSIDER PRACTICAL MEANS OF REDUCING SUBSIDY TO THOSE NO LONGER IN SUCH NEED, + HE SAID.

DEALING WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT WELL-OFF TENANTS SHOULD BE PERSUADED TO VACATE THE IR +HEAVILY SUBSIDISED FLATS+ FOR THOSE MORE IN NEED, HE SAID IT WAS THE AUTHORITY'S PRACTICE TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS TO BUY THEIR OWN HOMES. THIS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.

+TO DATE. NEARLY 17 000 NEW FLATS HAVE BEEN SOLD TO THIS GROUP, THEREBY RELEASING A SIMILAR NUMBER OF RENTAL FLATS FOR ALLOCATION TO OTHER MORE NEEDY FAMILIES, HE SAID.

ON THE SUBJECT OF REDEVELOPMENT OF OLD ESTATES, HE SAID THAT THIS WORK HAD BEEN PROGRESSING STEADILY OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO.

/+OLD NAMES