Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1966-1967 — Page 12

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REVIEW OF THE YEAR

12. The following paragraphs contain a brief review of the main events during the year. A fuller account will be found in subsequent chapters.

13. A feature of 1965-66 was the first indication that the squatter tide had at last begun to ebb. It appeared that the gross increase in the squatter population had fallen well below the previous rate of about 100,000 a year, and that over the year there had even been a nett decrease in the number of ground and rooftop squatters in the urban areas. The same factors continued to operate in 1966-67—reduced immi- gration and a fairly low rate of redevelopment of old property; a lower birth-rate; an improved squatter control organization; the existence of resite or licensed areas for the homeless; and (more so in 1966-67 than during the previous year) better opportunities of acquiring a home in the private sector. The result was a further drop in the squatter popula- tion. A new and more accurate method of estimating the squatter population was applied during the year, and the following table, as at 31st March, illustrates the decline in the estimated numbers over the last two years!

1965 1966

1967

Squatters

463,000

430,000

418,000

Resitees

75,300

84.800

57,100

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However, this reduction was not accompanied by any decrease in the number of demolitions carried out against new unlawful structures or extensions to existing tolerated ones, which showed a slight rise. The majority of demolitions carried out were of re-erected structures or extensions, rather than of completely new ones.

14. The slowing down in the tempo of private building led in turn to a reduced demand from the Public Works Department for land to be cleared of squatters for development purposes. Hence, only 25,041 squatters (including boat squatters) were resettled in development clear- ances as against 35,894 during the previous year, itself by no means a record year. However, with less pressure on this category it was possible to devote greater resources to the clearance of the old resite areas, either for conversion into licensed areas or for permanent development. No fewer than 46,065 occupants of resite areas were resettled during the year, an increase of over 30,000 on the previous year. By the end of March the resite arca population had dropped to around 50,000, while

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