Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1956-1957 — Page 38

$1,200. They are very solidly built, the walls being of granite and the roofs usually of reinforced concrete. The funds for their construction have come mostly from the United States of America.

73. The number of persons per acre in the cottage areas will vary considerably from one area to another but the average is about 400 as against an average at present of about 2,200 persons to the acre in the multi-storey estates. Although this is not an entirely fair comparison, since much of the land in a cottage area will consist of steep and unuseable banks, it is none the less true to say that the living conditions in a small cottage on a hillside terrace are in general pleasanter than those in a room of a similar size in a multi-storey building, even though they may be less convenient, particularly in wet weather, in that the communal water standpipes and latrines will prob- ably be some distance away.

74. Development of these areas has now almost ceased because the extreme shortage of land adjoining the urban areas makes it necessary to use every available site for multi-storey buildings such as factories, schools, housing estates and private enterprise housing. There is the further point that although one-storey buildings are cheaper to build in terms of cost per square foot of floor space there are other factors which make this form of resettlement expensive. Firstly, the capital cost of making the terraces, roads, paths, steps, and drains is often considerable. Secondly, even when these essentials have been provided the cottage areas are still expensive to maintain and protect against erosion and rainstorm damage.

75. Particulars of the inhabitants of the various cottage areas will be found at Appendix I at the end of this Report.

B. Administration, Maintenance and Development.

76. All families in the cottage areas pay quarterly permit fees to the Government for their sites, the amount depending both on the size of the site and the location of the area. For an average site of between 150 and 170 sq. ft. the permit fee is now $5 a quarter in the outlying areas and $15 a quarter in the central areas. If the permittee does not own the cottage he occupies he will also have to pay a monthly rent or hire purchase payment to the owner.

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