No_4_1955 — Page 59

LADY

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GRANTHAM VILLAS

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Photograph of the project from the corner of Prince Edward Road and Sycamore Street.

The Lady Grantham Villas in Taikok- At the Budget Meeting of the Legisla- jects were to construct good buildings as tsui, Kowloon were opened by H.E. the tive Council in March 1953. the Governor inexpensively as possible to provide ac- Governor and Lady Grantham July expressed his great

concer about the commodation for those tenants prepared 18th.

on

Not only do they make a useful housing shortage. His Excellency empha- to pay a reasonable lump sum on occupa- contribution to the solution of the hous- sized that the most effective solution of tion and then a small monthly rental; the ing problem, but also this low-cost hous- this serious problem would be the con- Society is a non-profit-making concern. ing scheme introduces several novel struction of low-cost houses for the public

features.

It is generally known that the existing housing shortage in Hong Kong is so acute that Government alone cannot pos- sibly solve it. Flats in large numbers are required in the immediate future and at the lowest possible cost or rental.

at cheap rentals, and called on the public to help. His sympathetic view was re- ceived with much favour by all circles

interested in the affairs of the local population.

Inspired by His Excellency, and in re sponse to his call, Mr. Daniel N. F. Chen It is not proposed here to delve too set about the formation of The Hong deeply into the cause of the problem, its Kong Economic Housing Society. Its ob possible solution or what has been done,

and is being done, to remedy the situa- tion.

to

Various circumstances contributed the housing shortage, some of them pecu- liar to Hong Kong the destruction, during the war. of 70% of the better class houses and 20% of the tenements: the flood of refugees from China, which was mainly responsible for an increase in the population of about 700,000 over the pre-war figure; the difficult terrain which makes good building land scarce near the business and industrial districts.

The Hong Kong Housing Society and the Hong Kong Model Housing Society, formed in 1948 and 1950 respectively, have done excellent work in the field of low-cost housing. The Housing Authority was set up about 18 months ago to tackle the same problem, but on a larger scale,

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It should be stressed that cheap and inefficient labour and poor quality mate- rials would not be used to effect the ne. cessary economies. Four guiding prin- ciples were laid down for the construction of The Lady Grantham Villas, namely:

1. The buildings must be of a permanent

nature,

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Plan of the entire scheme showing the seven individual blocks.

57

EDWARD