TNAG-0809-FCO40-1014-Legislation-for-Crown-lands-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 57

For discussion

on 20th November 1973

ANNUSALO

200X73)10 Copy No....

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,

THE HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY: PROPOSED SLUM CLEARANCE SCHEME

Annex A

In recent months the Hong Kong Housing Society has been giving detailed consideration with Government to the possibility of undertaking slum curance pavjects. It has in ming particularly those tenement areas which private redevelopintai has passed by, and which are becoming increasingly dilapidated; in effect, properties in multiple ownership with some of the owners absent from Hong Kong or with unresolved succession problems. In such circumstances, private developers cannot acquire the complete tide to the land which is a pre-requisite to development, and the only solution is compulsory purchase for redevelopment. The Housing Authority's massive 10 year programme precludes it from this field at this juncture (although it may well enter it later), and the entry of the Housing Society into this new sphere of activity would be a most valuab.c comribution to improving the Colony's housing stock.

2

While it would be the Society's intention, wherever possible, to acquire properties for redevelopment by negotiation, with the usual cash compensation being paid to the tenants and following standard Exclusion Order proceedings where appropriate, it will be essential to be able in appropriate cases to have properties resumed by Government, It is, of course, not possible to give compulsory purchase powers to a private society such as the Housing Society. The Crown Lands Office being already overstretched, the resumption and acquisition arrangements would be handled by staff of the Rating and Valuation Department. Resumed sites would then be assigned to the Society at a premiurn equivalent to the total cost of resumption. The Society would offer alternative accommodation to displaced tenants (as is done in the urban renewal scheme which Government is implementing in the Hollywood Road area).

3

The first step would be for the Society to buy in the open

iben be

tex

of the

rents about two-thirds of comparable free market rents, to make the scheme both viable and attractive.

CONFIDENT

機 誌