TNAG-0317-FCO40-353-Policy-of-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-problem-of-s-1971 — Page 24

Mr Clewley Mr Laird

URBAN COUNCIL ON RESETTLEMENT

Reference

Q

31

We have received the record of the Urban Council meeting of 6 April in which Members discussed the housing situation and moved a Resolution. As this presents the

views of those intimately involved with the problem, I thought you would be interested to have a brief summary of their main points, especially as they paint a less rosy picture than that which we are usually presented with by

the Hong Kong Government.

2.

Mr Bernacchi noted almost with horror that only 9,640 people were offered resettlement in urban estates' & urged the Government to investigate more sites for estates in urban areas, particularly Hong Kong island.

3. The Resettlement Commissioner gave figures for people resettled from 1953-1971 (page 6). There has been a severe decrease since 1967/8 as a result of a setback in the building programme due apparently to failure of the contractors. However, the Low Cost Housing Programme is well ahead of any programme set by the Government (page 9). 4. With regard to squatters, the Commissioner admitted

that of 90,000 'tolerated structures' in 1965, only 12,000 have been cleared for development to date. Some 357,000 people live in the remaining 77,000. (page 11). Mr LO was 'rather depressed' if not 'frightened' by the fact that the there are half a million people who are eligible for resettlement but who haven't been resettled'.(page 12). Mr Sales said that 'no matter how impressive our programe may have been we have made very little impact on the total problem of housing'. He was worried 'because a recert state- ment was made by very high authority here that in a decade e or so the public sector's intervention in housing in Hong Kong might well come to an end.' He doubted 'on the strength of the figures Government has furnished..hether this public housing programme or state-aided housing pro- gramme can ever come to an end in Hong Kong.

5.

Mrs Elliott stated that there were 120,000 squatters in the New Territories. (I have confirmed this from the 1970 Housing Board Report; this is additional to 410,000 in the urban areas.)

*

" including "scupants of licensed areas".

/......

6.

DD 737719 557664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2