1957-1958 — Page 16

ACCOUNTS

The Authority's accounts are kept under the general direction of the Accountant General, and audited annually by the Authority's own auditors, Messrs. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. This firm has also kindly consented to act as honorary financial advisers to the Authority. Copies of the accounts for the year ended 31st March, 1958 are attached as Appendix IV.

TENANT SELECTION

Concurrently with planning and building, work has proceeded on the selection of tenants for the Authority's flats. This is done on the basis of a points scheme, in which the most important factor is the applicant's housing need. In order to assess this need, points are awarded for such conditions as overcrowding, lack of a separate home, and the inconvenience a family suffers through members having to live apart, because of the lack of accommodation. In the final selection regard will be had to war service, length of residence in Hong Kong, and current service in the local auxiliary defence forces. Additional points are also given for certain tuberculosis conditions in the family. No special priority is given to any particular section of the community.

At first applications were only considered from persons over 21 years of age, who had lived in Hong Kong continuously since 1st July, 1948, and who had a total family income of between $300 and $900 a month.

In January 1958, however, in order to facilitate letting of the larger flats (rent $138 a month) on the North Point Estate, it was agreed to open, for a limited period, a special waiting list (known as 'Special List') of applicants with a family income of between $900 and $1,400 a month.

The ordinary waiting list was opened on 1st November, 1956, and by 31st March, 1958, 31,174 application forms had been issued, and 17,079 completed forms returned. The rate at which forms were being returned fell somewhat towards the end of the period, but they were still being sent in at the rate of about 50 a week. A permanent register of applicants is maintained, and names can be added at any time subject to the fulfilment of the basic qualifying conditions. The sorting of applications is a continuous process, and a considerable volume of work is involved in visiting applicants in their homes (undertaken by

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