Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1956-1957 — Page 19

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requests and to help in solving personal and family problems. One of the points on which they will have to advise will be about the types of businesses-shops, restaurants, workshops etc.—which are allowed in the ground floor rooms in the estates and whether an Urban Council licence is required. If the business being operated is one which cannot be allowed on the ground floor of a domestic building the squatter will probably decide to change his trade.

37. At one time the most difficult problem to solve was that of combining families too small to be entitled to have a room to themselves. This difficulty has now been largely overcome by having rooms of four different sizes in multi-storey buildings, but families of less than three persons and single persons are still a problem.

38. By the end of the first week most of the questions will have been answered and a great many personal problems will have been solved or alleviated. By the second week registration will usually be complete and all white cards, birth certificates, identity cards, and other documents will have been checked to ensure that no additions or substitutions have been made since screening took place. Each household is then required to produce a group photograph of all its members on which must appear the household's resettlement department number. On handing over this group photograph the head of household will receive his letter of authority to enter a particular resettlement estate or area. During the third week a nominal roll is prepared showing the composition of each household and this together with all the group photographs, is forwarded to the estate staff one week before the move so that all rooms can be allocated in advance.

39. In the fourth week the move will take place. If the clearance is a large one as many as 1,000 persons may move in one day. Transport will be provided both for the settlers themselves and for all their personal belongings. By this time they will have sold their structures to contractors for the demolition value of the materials; and within a few days of the move the clearance area will have been freed for permanent development.

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