XN000022-1985-03-08 — Page 21

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FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1985

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A CENTRE RUN BY THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION IN KAI CHEUNG TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA, MR FORD SAID: +WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE THEREFORE WITH CONFIDENCE.+

+OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS OR SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A PROPER HOME FOR EVERYONE IN HONG KONG WHO NEEDS ONE.+

MR FORD STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

+WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED IN HONG KONG 17 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE OVER 400 000 PEOPLE LIVING IN SQUATTER HUTS. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HOUSED OVER 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE.

+OUR LAST SURVEY SHOWED THERE WERE STILL 500 000 PEOPLE LIVING IN SQUATTER HUTS, SO WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING VERY FAST BUT STANDING STILL.+

HE SAID IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA WAS A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN THE IZE CF HONG KONG'S POPULATION, BUT THE EFFORTS OF THE FAMILY FLANNING ASSOCIATION HAD ALSO BEEN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION.

+OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, THE BIRTH RATE HAS DECLINED FROM PER THOUSAND TO 16 PER THOUSAND THANKS LARGELY TO THE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMME, AND OUR COMMUNITY OWES A SINCERE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT.

+ THE MOVE TOWARDS SMALLER FAMILIES AND OUR HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTION OF FLATS HAS OTHER EFFECTS TOO.

+FAMILIES CAN EXPECT TO STAY IN THA'S FOR SHORTER PERIODS OF TIME WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXTEND THE ELIGIBILITY OF HOUSING TO TWO-PERSON FAMILIES AND INDEED TO SINGLE PEOPLE AS WELL.

+ELDERLY PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS PLANNING TO BUILD AND MANAGE ITS OWN HOSTELS FOR THE OVER 50'S IN MANY OF OUR ESTATES.+

MR FORD POINTED OUT THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS NOT ONLY BUILDING HOMES BUT COMMUNITIES.

+AND WE IN HOUSING AUTHORITY BELIEVE THAT COMMUNITY SERVICES IN THE ESTATES ARE AS IMPORTANT AS THE FLATS THEMSELVES. THE PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IS VITAL IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM.+

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