I
布政司署
香港下亞
畢道
*** OUR Ref.: L/M (4) in SEC 2/8/521 II
來函檔號 YOUR REF.:
Dear
74
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
HKK 360/2
No 73.5
His Excellency the Governor has authorised me to
reply on his behalf to your letter dated
about the arrest of the Yaumatei boat dwellers and others on 7th January 1979. My reply has had to await the outcome of the Court hearing on 12th February 1979, and is sent to you with the agreement of the Secretary for Housing.
It is Government's policy to assist all those who live in substandard accommodation by the provision of subsidised public housing through the Housing Authority. This service is available not only to boat people, but to the very large numbers of people living in unsatisfactory conditions on land, for example in old tenement buildings and squatter areas.
Since 1960, the Housing Authority has constructed over 344,000 public housing units, and housed over 1.6 million people, a record which speaks for itself. It is anticipated that half this number again will be housed in the next five years. Nevertheless, demand continues to exceed supply because of substantial increases in our population (3.1 million in 1960 and now over 4.7 million according to the latest estimate), caused by, amongst other things, the large numbers of immigrants arriving in Hong Kong. As a result, there is a waiting list of over 141,000 applicants for public housing.
/Cont'd.
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