Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1962-1963 — Page 22

Resettlement Departmental Reports 徙置事務處年報 All

bazaars. During the year a design for covered bazaars was approved by the Hawkers and Resettlement Areas and Estates Select Commit- tees sitting in joint session. Planning for individual bazaars is now in progress.

59. A multi-storey estate is administered by a staff of Area Officers supervised by an Assistant Resettlement Officer. He in turn is respon- sible to an Administrative Officer assisted by two Resettlement Officers who are in charge of all estates. An Area Officer is normally respon- sible for two multi-storey blocks with a population of between 4,000 and 5,000. In larger estates an Area Officer who is designated as second-in-command assists the Officer-in-charge with general adminis- tration work and another is responsible for stores, sanitation and the supervision of the labour force which cleans all blocks, streets and open spaces lying within the estate boundary. There may also be an Area Officer in charge of rent collection.

60. An Area Officer's first duty is to teach his settlers to observe simple rules of hygiene. Another side of his work is to settle disputes, particularly between families which may have to share a room. It is also his duty to see that the settlers observe the conditions of their tenancy cards. These conditions are made as simple as possible, the most important being that the rent must be paid each month in advance on the rent day; that the tenant may not transfer his room to any other person or sublet any part of it; and that he must not allow his room to be used for any illegal purpose. There are also special conditions for workshops. Restaurants, cafes and food shops have to comply with the conditions of an Urban Council licence.

61. If the conditions of the tenancy card are not observed verbal warnings are given by the staff, to be followed, if necessary, by pre- liminary and final warning letters. Usually these warnings are effective, but if no notice is taken of the final written warning it may be neces- sary to terminate the tenancy and to require the tenant and his family to vacate the premises. So far as rent payments are concerned, the conditions of the tenancy card provide for cancellation as soon as the monthly rent is in arrears. Some 210 tenancies had to be terminated during the year; 166 for non-payment of rent, 17 for unauthorized transfers; 4 for drug offences, and 23 for miscellaneous reasons.

62. In order to spread rent collections over the whole month each estate is divided into sections, each of which has a different rent day. This greatly facilitates collection of and accounting for rents. If, for

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