XN000022-1995-02-22 — Page 41

(a)

(b)

(c)

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what measures it will take to enhance the occupancy rate of the hostels;

whether it will consider relaxing the eligibility criteria for admission into the hostels, such as accepting applications from street sleepers and public assistance recipients; and

whether it will review the effectiveness of singleton hostels in solving the housing problem of single persons since their inception in 1991, and whether it will review the future development of the singleton hostel service?

Reply:

Mr President,

Honourable Members will recall that at the resumption of debate on Second Reading of the Bedspace Apartments Bill in April last year, the Chairman of the Committee mentioned the need to rehouse lodgers who might have to be displaced from those apartments which may require improvement works to be carried out to enhance their fire and building safety. In response, I gave an undertaking that efforts would be made to rehouse about 1600 of the then existing 3200 lodgers through the Home Affairs Department's own means and those of the Housing Department and the Social Welfare Department.

It was envisaged that the Social Welfare Department would take care of those who are eligible for compassionate rehousing through the Housing Department Compassionate Rehousing Scheme or through admission into welfare institutions. Those needy lodgers who fall outside these categories would be eligible to apply for admission into singleton hostels provided by the Home Affairs Department.

For the above reason, one of the eligibility criteria for admission into singleton hostels provided by the Home Affairs Department is that an applicant has to be an existing lodger of a bedspace apartment.

The licensing scheme under the Bedspace Apartment Ordinance is being implemented in phases. The demand for singleton hostel accommodation will rise steadily as the scheme gets under way and will reach its peak by the end of 1996 upon full implementation. The occupancy rate is relatively low at present because the peak has not yet been reached.