XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 39

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

MR POON SAID HE HOPED THAT THE AUTHORITIES WOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER IT WOULD BE BOTH A WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY AND AN UNWISE MOVE TO INCUR ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES ON SCREENING THE INCOME DECLARATIONS OF 95 PER CENT OF TENANTS WHO DID NOT HAVE TO PAY DOUBLE RENT.

+FOR SOME MARGINALLY WELL-OFF HOUSEHOLD WHOSE FAMILY INCOME ONLY EXCEEDS THE SUBSIDY INCOME LIMIT BY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS, THEY MAY BE COMPELLED TO DRIVE AWAY THEIR INCOME-EARNING CHILDREN, SO AS TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF PAYING DOUBLE RENT, HE SAID.

MR POON SAID THAT THIS WOULD RESULT IN THE ESTATES BEING POPULATED BY OLD PEOPLE AND RUN COUNTER TO THE SPIRIT AND PRINCIPLE OF CHINESE TRADITION.

HE SUGGESTED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:

*

*

TENANTS WHO WERE CLEARLY BETTER-OFF AND THOSE NO LONGER IN NEED OF HOUSING SUBSIDY SHOULD BE EVICTED:

SPEEDING UP CONSTRUCTION OF LOW-COST HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS: AND

* A FURTHER REVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOUSING SUBSIDY

TO PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS.

ON DOMESTIC RENT POLICY, MR POON SAID THE PROPOSED MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO OF 15 PER CENT NEEDED FURTHER REVIEW AND DISCUSSION.

+CONSIDERATION AND SEPARATE TREATMENT MUST BE GIVEN TO THE 280 000 HOUSEHOLDS LIVING IN OLD PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND THOSE FAMILIES WITH A RENT-INCOME RATIO BELOW THE 15 PER CENT LEVEL,+ HE SAID.

+AN APPROPRIATE AND REASONABLE POLICY WILL BRING FORTH BENEFITS IF NOT, IT WILL LEAD TO A CHAIN OF ADVERSE EFFECTS WHICH MIGHT EVEN JEOPARDISE OUR PROSPERITY AND STABILITY,+

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