XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 23

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

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(2) THESE TENANTS' AFFORDABILITY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, SO THAT SUCH TENANTS OF NEWER ESTATES THE RENT OF WHICH WERE FIXED AT A MEDIAN INCOME-RENT OF 10 PER CENT OR MORE WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER HARDSHIP AS A RESULT OF THIS MEASURE.

(3) THE CHOICE MUST ALWAYS BE OPEN TO THOSE TENANTS TO MOVE TO UNITS OF LOWER RENT.

TURNING TO THE REPORT OF THE DOMESTIC RENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE, MRS CHOW SAID MEMBERS HAD INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY MET WITH INTEREST GROUPS TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS OF OPPOSITION CONCERNING THE REPORT.

SHE SAID SHE AGREED THAT THE ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD BY THE REPRESENTATIONS WERE NOT ALTOGETHER GROUNDLESS AND DESERVED CAREFUL CONSIDERATION BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

HOWEVER, SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO ALREADY STOOD AT 12.4 PER CENT FOR HOUSEHOLD REHOUSED IN 1985-86 AND THE REJECTION RATE HAD BEEN ONE PER CENT.

+THIS ACTUAL EXPERIENCE INDICATES GENERAL ACCEPTABILITY OF PRESENT LEVELS,+ SHE SAID.

MRS CHOW SAID SHE PERSONALLY FOUND A 15 PER CENT RENT-INCOME RATIO ACCEPTABLE BUT RECOGNISED THAT HOUSEHOLDS IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL EARNING INCOME AT THE LOWER END OF THE SCALE MIGHT ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY.

SHE THEREFORE SUGGESTED THAT A LIMITED NUMBER OF LOW-RENT FLATS WITH AN ESTATE TO CATER FOR THIS SPECIAL GROUP SHOULD BE SET ASIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN REDEVELOPMENT REDUCED OLDER LOW-RENT FLATS.

WELL-OFF TENANTS SHOULD LEAVE PUBLIC HOUSING

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THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT FOR WELL-OFF PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO BE A COMMITMENT THAT CONTINUES INDEFINITELY, THE HON S. L. CHEN STATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY IN HONG KONG HAD ALWAYS BEEN TO SUBSIDISE ONLY THOSE IN NEED, MR CHEN SAID DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON TWO HOUSING REPORTS.

THERE WERE ABOUT 170 000 PEOPLE ON WAITING LISTS, 38 000 HOUSEHOLDS IN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AND 190 000 IN SQUATTER AREAS, HE SAID.

/IT WAS