ing more and more acute, and although a very close liaison is maintained with the Public Works Department in an effort to alleviate this situation, it has become increasingly obvious that the Authority must look further afield if its activities are not to be severely curtailed.
57. A good deal of thought was given during the year to the instiga- tion of a long-term building programme, and the reservation of sites for development. Without such a programme it is not possible to do any forward planning either for building, acquisition of sites, staff recruit- ment, or for negotiations with Government over finance and other policy matters. The location of future estates is not easy to determine, however, as there is no overall Colony plan, and housing proposals can not therefore he integrated with any degree of certainty into general develop- ment schemes.
58. It is not possible in present circumstances to assess beyond any doubt, before embarking on a building scheme, exactly what sort of tenants are to be housed. It is possible only to make a common-sense appraisal of the housing situation, current shortage in particular districts, population trends, and the number of applications for accommodation, One conclusion that must inevitably be reached is that it is essential to build a great number of flats, at high densities, for small rather than large families--and to build as cheaply as possible.
59. Detailed proposals were put before the Authority for drawing up a long-term programme, with the aim of providing 60,000 units between 1962 and 1972, and requiring the use of about 300 acres of land. After much discussion it was decided that a programme should be prepared but not on such a long-term basis.
60. Following consultations with interested Government depart- ments, and the District Commissioner, New Territories, it was decided to ask Government to reserve two sites for future development. These
are:
(i) One of about 6 acres in a housing zone at the new industrial township of Kwun Tong, on Kowloon Bay, to be developed at a density of about 1,200 persons per acre. Tentative plans have already been prepared for the construction of about 1,200 flats, to house some 7,600 people, on this site, but further socio-economic information on the future population and development of the area is being obtained before going into the matter in greater detail. (see Fig. 15).
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