1959-1960 — Page 11

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

THE estimated total population of the Colony at the end of 1959 was 2,919,000 persons, of whom approximately 80% were living in the urban areas of Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Kowloon. At the same date the rated domestic accommodation in these urban areas consisted of 1,148 houses, 10,049 large flats, 17,249 small flats, 93,726 tenement floors, and 9,522 low-cost housing units. 54.63% of these dwellings were of post-war construction, an increase of 8.26% over the previous year. 11,554 new premises were erected during the year, but 1,506 old build- ings were demolished.

2. Under the terms of the Housing Ordinance, No. 18 of 1954, the Housing Authority was given fairly wide powers to deal with the housing problem in many of its aspects. It functions as a business enter- prise, and although rents are kept as low as is reasonably possible, they must be sufficient to cover all outgoings other than those chargeable to capital account. It receives no subsidies, as such, but Crown land is allocated, when available, at one-third of the estimated market value, and loans are provided by Government from the Development Fund, at a low rate of interest, to finance the Authority's projects. Government maintains a firm general control over the Authority's activities, as all its housing schemes must receive prior approval, and funds are not allocated until this approval has been given.

3. It was never intended that the Authority should have a monopoly of providing low-cost housing, even for the income group of $300 - $900 a month, which is its main concern. Apart from the very large-scale activities of the Resettlement Department in the rehousing of squatters, illegally occupying Crown land required for development, there are a number of voluntary bodies providing housing on a non-profit basis on the same terms as the Housing Authority. Private enterprise, which provides about 10,000 dwellings per annum, on a profit-making basis, makes the largest contribution to the accommodation available. The bulk of this accommodation is contained in tenement floors and small flats.

4. A rigid policy has never been laid down by the Housing Authority, and so far its entire energy has been directed to the planning,

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