expansion, nearly all of which were occupied by squatters, meant that the development of resettlement estates would have to continue at maximum speed for a number of years to come.
16. During the financial year 1956/57 sites were cleared for two more estates, at Hung Hom and Lo Fu Ngam, and a start was made on the demolition of the original emergency two-storey buildings at Shek Kip Mei to be replaced by multi-storey resettlement blocks.
17. By the end of March, 1957, the total population in the resettle- ment estates and areas had reached 213,500 of whom 73,700 were in the cottage areas, 19,800 in the emergency two-storey buildings at Shek Kip Mei, and 120,000 in the multi-storey blocks at Shek Kip Mei, Tai Hang Tung, Li Cheng Uk and Hung Hom. In addition a total of 203 acres of land had been cleared for permanent development, thirty eight acres of which were for the construction of resettlement estates and the remainder for other forms of housing, for schools, and for other public works projects.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
18. On 1st April, 1957 there were three completed estates, Tai Hang Tung, Li Cheng Uk and Shek Kip Mei. Of these Tai Hang Tung was virtually filled to capacity and Li Cheng Uk could provide only limited accommodation. Shek Kip Mei was also full, but there a redevelop- ment programme was being carried out which provided for the demolition of the original emergency two-storey buildings-generally known as 'Bowring Bungalows'-and their replacement by seven-storey blocks. In addition three blocks of Hung Hom Estate had been com- pleted and site formation for the fourth was in progress; the completed blocks were already occupied, except for a number of rooms that were affected by blasting in the vicinity and had to be left vacant. Finally construction work was in progress on the first three blocks of a fifth estate at Lo Fu Ngam, which was to contain a total of eight blocks.
19. The potential accommodation in the comparatively small estates at Hung Hom and Lo Fu Ngam was not great and site formation difficulties which were met at both sites tended to reduce still further the amount of accommodation available for the resettlement of squatters in the beginning of the year. In the first six months of the year under review the total population in the estates and cottage areas increased
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