TNAG-1575-FCO40-2148-Housing-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 20

5

long-term housing policies can be formulated.

seen as

While appreciating that compulsory income declaration may help to provide information about tenants now living in our a move, to say the least, estates, I must point out that such

could be

and could the privacy of, an infringement on possibly arouse resentment from, those who do not wish to declare Furthermore, their income and are prepared to pay double rent. general information on public housing tenants'

is

kept

the by

Statistics

changes Department and is easily available.

asking tenants to

incomes and their

Housing

Section of the Thus the present proposal of

declare their income should they wish to pay the existing rent is the most practicable and least disturbing of all alternatives.

The cost-effectiveness of the recommendations has also been argued. At this point, one cannot of course say exactly how much revenue will be generated following the implementation of

the

example,

revenue in

all

tenants with

incomes for If, proposals. exceeding the Subsidy Income Level opt to pay double rent, the additional rental

of implementation the first year This is an estimate based on

on 1985 will amount to $14 million. prices. The capital costs of implementing the proposals are also estimated to be $3.3 million, with another $5.3 million for the recurrent expenses in the first year.

More

important than these

figures,

Sir,

is the

principle of fair distribution of social resources which must be achieved, provided that the costs incurred are

inconvenience

is resulted

within permissible

reasonable, the

and the

limits

social gains will benefit the majority of our community.

what we always strive for.

is A reasonable and acceptable public housing policy

assured that The Final Report has