XN000022-1985-01-30 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1925

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NEW POLICY FOR RELIEF OF OVERCROWD ING IN THAS

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MORE THAN 600 FAMILIES AT TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS HAVE SO FAR BENEFITED FROM A NEW MEASURE DESIGNED FOR THE RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING IN THAS.

+UNDER THIS MEASURE INTRODUCED LAST YEAR, CASUAL VACANT THA UNITS NOT LARGER THAN 7.43 SQUARE METRES MAY BE ALLOCATED ADDITIONALLY TO FAMILIES LIVING AT A DENSITY OF LESS THAN 1.86 SQUARE METRES PER PERSON,+ SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HOUSING AUTHOR: TY TODAY.

HE SAID THE SUPPLY OF SUCH VACANT UNITS WERE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHEN SINGLE PERSONS AND TWO-PERSON FAMILIES IN THAS BEGAN TO BE ALLOCATED PUBLIC HOUSING.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, THA RESIDENTS ARE BEING MORE QUICKLY REHOUSED TO PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. FOR EXAMPLE, 16 000 THA RESIDENTS WERE ALLOCATED PUBLIC HOUSING IN 1983-84.

+ THE DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED A PROGRAMME TO CLEAR OLD EXISTING THAS IN ADDITION TO THOSE THAT ARE BEING CLEARED FOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES. THIS WILL INCREASE THE RATE OF REHOUSING OF THA FAMILIES.

+WITH AN INCREASED SUPPLY OF SMALL VACANT UNITS AND A MUCH FASTER RATE OF REHOUSING TO PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, THE PROBLEM OF OVERCROWDING IN THAS WILL SOON BE FURTHER REDUCED TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT.

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+ BEFORE THEN, HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE IMPRACTICAL TO CONSIDER RELAXING THE DENSITY OF 1.86 SQUARE METPES SINCE IT WOULD CREATE AN UNFAIR SITUATION IN WHICH MORE NEEDY FAMILIES WOULD HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THE LESS NEEDY ONES.

+ALL FAMILIES ADMITTED INTO THAS SINCE OCTOBER 1983 HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED SPACES AT THE PRESENT STANDARD OF AN AVERAGE OF 3.4 SQUARE METRES PER PERSON. THIS WILL MINIMISE THE DEGREE OF OVERCROWDING AMONG NEW FAMILIES.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE OF LAND FOR BUILDING THAS VACANT THA UNITS LARGER THAN 7.43 SQUARE METRES HAD BEEN RESERVED FOR REHOUSING NEW FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CLEARANCE AND NATURAL DISASTERS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT WHILE THERE WERE ABOUT 1 000 SUCH VACANT UR'TS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 3 300 PERSONS, OVER 2 000 NAT RAL DISASTER VICTIMS WERE WAITING TO BE ALLOCATED THA SPACES.

+ IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OVER THE COMING SIX MONTHS, THERE IS A JEMAND FOR 10 000 THA SPACES ARISING FROM CLEARANCE ALONE, NOT TU MENTION DEMAND FROM POSS | BLE NATURAL DISASTERS OVER THIS PERIOD.

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* THE PRESENT VERY TIGHT SUPPLY AND DEMAND SITUATION, IT WOULD DE UNREALISTIC TO CONSIDER MAKING USE OF THESE LARGER UNITS FOR RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING WITHOUT AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCE AND REHOUSING OF VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS.+

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