XN000022-1993-06-30 — Page 35

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1993

ALMOST HALF ARE SINGLE PREMISES OWNERS AND FOR ARE A VITAL PART OF THEIR INCOMES, HE ADDED.

MR SUEN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT LANDLORDS WHO CHARGE MARKET RENTS WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO COMMIT MAINTENANCE AND REFURBISHMENT OF THEIR PROPERTIES.

MANY, RENTALS

WERE UNABLE TO RESOURCES то THE

HE SAID: "UNDER THE REVISED PROPOSALS, CONTINUE TO ENJOY SUB-MARKET RENTS FOR A FURTHER FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.

MANY TENANTS WOULD

"AFTER THE PHASING OUT OF CONTROLS, CONTINUE TO ENJOY SECURITY OF TENURE PROVIDED THEY PAY MARKET RENTS.

AFFECTED TENANTS WILL

NOTING THE WORRIES EXPRESSED ON THE LESS-PRIVILEGED OF CONTROLLED BEDSPACE APARTMENTS, MR SURN UNDERSTANDABLE.

HE POINTED OCCUPANTS TOTALLED MARKET-LEVEL RENTS.

||

OCCUPANTS

SAID THIS WAS

OUT THAT LAST YEAR'S SURVEY INDICATED

JUST OVER 2,000 AND MANY WERE

THAT THESE IN FACT PAYING

SUCH ACCOMMODATION PAYING LESS THAN

"IT

ESTABLISHED THAT THE AVERAGE RENT FOR WAS $279 PER MONTH WITH 86 PER CENT OF OCCUPANTS $400," HE SAID.

ON AVERAGE THESE TENANTS WERE PAYING 7.3 PER

INCOMES.

CENT OF THEIR

YEAR OF ADDITIONAL

NO ADDITIONAL INCREASES WILL BE PAYABLE IN THE FIRST THE DECONTROL PROCESS AND BEDSPACE OCCUPANTS WILL FACE AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF AN AVERAGE OF $17 PER MONTH IN YEAR TWO, MR SAID.

SUEN

"I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE PROPOSED PERMITTED INCREASES WILL HAVE UNDUE ADVERSE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES ON THIS CATEGORY OF THE SECRETARY SAID.

NOT

TENANTS,

THE SOCIAL

MR SUEN ALSO SAID DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN HELD WITH WELFARE DEPARTMENT ON THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF RENT DECONTROL.

UNDER

ON

HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THERE WOULD BE ADEQUATE ASSISTANCE THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM TO OFFSET ANY ADVERSE FINANCIAL IMPACT TENANTS FACING SUCH HARDSHIP AS RESULT OF RENT DECONTROL.

INTRODUCED

THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE

WITH EFFECT FROM TOMORROW WILL PROVIDE REAL THE LEVELS OF BENEFITS, MR SUEN SAID.

SCHEME то INCREASES

BE

IN

ALLOWANCE OF

HE SAID: "FOR INSTANCE THE CURRENT MAXIMUM RENT $743 A MONTH FOR A SINGLE PERSON WILL BE INCREASED TO $1,118.

GENUINE

"I AM ASSURED THAT IN GENERAL FOR NEEDY TENANTS FACING HARDSHIP AS A RESULT OF RENT DECONTROL, THE EXISTING MEANS TEST SHOULD NOT GIVE RISE TO ANY UNDUE OBSTACLE TO THEIR ACCESS TO ASSISTANCE.

/"IN ADDITION