1960-1961 — Page 43

CHAPTER IV

ESTATE MANAGEMENT

BACKGROUND

140. Since April 1956 when the management section was set up, an organization has been developed to manage the Authority's estates on the island at North Point and Sai Wan and in Kowloon at So Uk, which at 31st March, 1961, consisted of a total of 5,402 flats and 110 shops. The management staff numbers 89, including 2 housing managers, 3 assistant housing managers, 1 senior housing assistant, 21 housing assistants, 1 maintenance officer, 1 assistant maintenance officer, 15 clerks and 14 caretakers who are assisted by semi-skilled workers and cleaners.

APPLICATIONS

141. Work has been concentrated during the year on the investiga- tion of applications and visiting families who had applied for accom- modation in the So Uk Estate, Kowloon. From April to November 1960 when the So Uk waiting list was closed, 5,796 applications were received making a total of 22,332 to be considered for this Estate. During the year 8,473 visits were done and 10,544 interviews given at the office. As before many hundreds of applicants in the lower income brackets of the Authority's eligibility range of $300 - $1,200 were found unable to afford the size of accommodation suitable for their needs.

NORTH POINT ESTATE

142. This Estate of 1,955 flats and 71 shops is now well established and the Residents' Association has been most active on behalf of the tenants. For a second year they organized a 'Keep your Estate Clean' campaign and at the Mid Autumn Festival held a lantern competition which was a colourful event, though unfortunately marred by rain. The Housing Authority granted the Association $1,000 for the provision of recreational facilities. With this money 4 table tennis tables and 2 badminton courts were provided for use by all tenants Authority's Estate.

on the

143. The Residents' Association asked the Authority to reduce rents and give interest on rent deposits, but the Authority were unable to meet either of these requests.

144. All the shops on the Estate continued to be fully let though there were several transfers of tenancy. In July the Authority took over

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