TNAG-0270-FCO40-306-Policy-on-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

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3. THE RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENT OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS, ESTIMATED BY THE HOUSING BOARD, IS TO HOUSE 528,009 PEOPLE OF ALL

CATEGORIES INCLUDING THE RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING IN CLD ESTATES.

THIS COMMITMENT TO EXISTING CATEGORIES QUALIFYING FOR RESETTLEMENT

APPROXIMATES TO THE BUILDING PROGRAMME OVER THE SAME PERIOD. ANY

MAJOR RESETTLEMENT CF SQUATTERS ON CROWN LAND NOT NEEDED FOR

DEVELOPMENT CAN THEREFORE ONLY BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF CLEARANCES OF THOSE INCLUDED IN THE PRESENT CATEGORIES. IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT

THAT THE HOUSING BOARD IS NOW EXAMINING THE QUESTION OF HOUSING

PRIORITIES TO SEE WHETHER ANY HIGHER PRIORITY CAN BE GIVEN

TO REHOUSING SQUATTERS ON LAND NOT REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE

SQUATTER. AREAS THEMSELVES, AND FURTHER TO SEE WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACCELERATE THE HOUSING PROGRAMME BY FINDING MORE SUITABLE SITES

AND EXPAND THE PROGRAMME. WHATEVER MAY COME OF THIS EXAMINATION THE

BOARD IS IN ANY CASE LIKELY TO RECOMMEND SHORTLY THAT AS AN INTERIM MEASURE 30,000 SQUATTERS LIVING IN THE WORST AREAS NOT REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPMENT AND NOT INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE CATEGORIES SHOULD BE

RESETTLED.

4. THE 500TH RESETTLEMENT BLOCK WAS OPENED ON THURSDAY, 19 NOVEMBER

BRINGING THE TOTAL RESETTLEMENT POPULATION 1.E. EXCLUDING OTHER

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-AIDED HOUSING, UP TO 1.2 MILLION: THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 30% OF THE COLONY POPULATION (INCLUDING OTHER FORMS OF GOVERNMENT-AIDED HOUSING THE TOTAL IS 43%).

CONFIDENTIAL

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