XN000022-1989-10-11 — Page 40

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1989

SIR

OUT DAVID POINTED

THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF REASONABLY-PRICED HOUSING WAS A KEY FACTOR IN CREATING THE STABLE DYNAMIC SOCIETY THAT WE WANTED TO SEE IN HONG KONG.

GOOD.

YET

"OUR RECORD OF PROVIDING SUBSIDISED HOUSING STANDS COMPARISON WITH ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD," HE SAID.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY NOW MANAGED 723,000 LANDLORD FOR 47 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION.

FLATS AND WAS THE

YEAR,

SIR DAVID ALSO POINTED OUT IN THE LAST FINANCIAL AUTHORITY COMPLETED OVER 50,000 FLATS, A RECORD FOR A SINGLE YEAR.

"THIS YEAR, IT IS LIKELY TO SET A NEW RECORD AN ESTIMATED PRODUCTION OF 53,000 FLATS," HE SAID.

YET

THE

AGAIN, WITH

AND THEY WOULD THESE WERE REMARKABLE FIGURES BY ANY STANDARD

AND BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT ANY SACRIFICE TO THE QUALITY OF ACCOMMODATION ENVIRONMENT PROVIDED.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN EVERY COMMUNITY ORDINARY FAMILIES AND DREAMED OF OWNING THEIR OWN HOMES, AND COMMUNITIES WERE HEALTHIER MORE STABLE WHEN HOME OWNERSHIP WAS WIDESPREAD.

FAMILIES KONG

TO BECOME HOME "HELPING HONG

OWNERS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY," HE SAID.

PUBLIC NOTING THAT AT PRESENT ONLY 15 PER CENT OF THE STOCK OF

IN IT. SIR DAVID SAID THE HOUSING WAS OWNED BY THE FAMILY LIVING FIGURE WAS SET TO INCREASE.

**THIS YEAR, ONE-THIRD OF THE NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY BE FOR SALE RATHER THAN FOR RENT.

FLATS WILL

SCOPE "THE AUTHORITY HAS ALSO DECIDED RECENTLY TO INCREASE THE

OF ITS TENANTS WILL OF ITS HOME PURCHASE LOAN SCHEME SO THAT MORE

LOANS INTEREST-FREE

TO BUY FLATS IN THE RECEIVE LARGER

PRIVATE

SECTOR," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID ALSO SAID THE AUTHORITY WAS CONSIDERING ANOTHER INITIATIVE: THE FEASIBILITY OF SELLING SOME OF ITS NEWER FLATS TO FAMILIES WHO WERE NOW RENTING THEM.

BOLD THE

"AT PRESENT, 41 PER CENT OF HONG KONG FAMILIES

OWN THEIR OWN

HOMES.

"AS A RESULT OF

AUTHORITY'S THE

IDEAS. IMAGINATIVE EXPECT THE NUMBER TO RISE STEADILY DURING THE YEARS AHEAD," HE ADDED.

WE

CAN

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