XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 31

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*EDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985

+THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ALREADY CONTRIBUTES 37 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE AND THAT WILL RISE TO 65 PER CENT BY 1988-89. BUT WE ACCEPT THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE TO REDUCE OUR DEPENDANCE ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND ARE CONTINUING TO EXPLORE SCHEMES AND POLICIES TO THAT END.+

MR FORD SAID A MAJOR STEP HAD BEEN TAKEN WHICH WOULD FURTHER INCREASE THE CONTROL OF SQUATTER POPULATION.

+FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE UNDERTAKING A SURVEY OF SQUATTER INHABITANTS RATHER THAN SQUATTER HUTS.

+THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF-WAY THROUGH, WILL ENABLE US TO QUANTIFY OUR COMMITMENT TO RE-HOUSING THE SQUATTER POPULATION ONCE AND FOR ALL. PEOPLE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT SURVEY WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO PUBLIC HOUSING.+

REFERRING TO COST OF SQUATTER CONTROL AND WHETHER THERE WERE CHEAPER METHODS OF ACHIEVING THE SAME RESULT, MR FORD SAID THE PROBLEM OF CONTROL LAY IN THE FACT THAT THE NATURE OF SQUATTER RESETTLEMENTS WAS SUCH THAT MODERN METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE EITHER DID NOT WORK OR WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE PRESENT METHODS.

+WE HAVE LOOKED SERIOUSLY INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF USING HELICOPTERS, AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OR WATCHERS WITH TELESCOPE ON HIGH HILLTOPS. BUT NONE OF THESE CAN DETECT AN EXTENSION BUILT BENEATH AN EXISTING ROOF STRUCTURE OR A CAREFULLY CAMOUFLAGED CHANGE OF MATERIAL.

+WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING THE USE OF FEWER PATROLMEN EQUIPPED WITH PERSONAL RADIOS ABLE TO CALL ON A CENTRALLY-HELD RESERVE WHEN THEY NEED HELP. BUT I WOULD STRESS THAT DAILY PATROLS WOULD STILL BE ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO MAINTAIN OUR EFFECTIVENESS.+

MR FORD POINTED OUT THAT THE CURRENT HIGH-LEVEL OF CLEARANCE WAS ALREADY ALLOWING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIES.

+FOLLOWING A VALUE-FOR-MONEY STUDY IN 1983, THE DEPLOYMENT OF SQUATTER CONTROL TEAMS HAS BEEN STREAMLINED WITH THE STAFF REDUCED FROM 3 000 TO 2 400 WITH AN ANNUAL SAVING OF $6 MILLION IN REAL TERM.

+NO LESS THAN 65 000 SQUATTERS WILL BE CLEARED ANNUALLY UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT AND NON-DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. THIS IN TURN SHOULD ALLOW FOR A FURTHER REDUCTION OF SQUATTER CONTROL STAFF, AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT FURTHER SAVINGS CAN BE ACHIEVED YEAR BY YEAR.+

NOW WITH SQUATTING UNDER CONTROL, A COMPREHENSIVE SQUATTER CLEARANCE PROGRAMME AND A CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME CAPABLE OF RE- HOUSING URBAN SQUATTERS WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING OTHER HOUSING COMMITMENTS, MR FORD SAID: +1 BELIEVE WE NOW HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM OF SQUATTERS WHICH HAS CONCERNED US FOR SO LONG.+

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