Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1967-1968 — Page 19

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of the campaign, which ran concurrently with a similar one in estates. and cottage areas, was to attempt to establish links with residents of these areas leading to the formation of Kaifongs or other forms of residents' associations. This initiative was on the whole very well received; 20 preparatory committees were formed and many requests received for minor improvements in these arcas. At the end of the year the department was considering whether it was advisable to set up a permanent liaison unit (as in estates) to provide a limited service in squatter areas.

RENT ADVANCE SCHEME

34. The rent advance scheme offers immediate priority for resettle- ment to tenants of domestic rooms in buildings demolished as being dangerous. Those opting to join the scheme are required to pay $400 for each adult and $200 for each child under ten years of age as advance rent before they move into resettlement estate rooms. This is returned to tenants by means of a reduced rent for their estate rooms over a period of 125 months. Since the scheme started in May 1965 the department has collected over $10 million in advance payments, of which $1.4 million was collected in 1967-68.

35. In the year under review, the Squatter Control sub-division registered 1,840 families, comprising 8,508 persons, evicted from dan- gerous buildings. Of these, 3,084 joined the scheme; 578 were offered sites in licensed areas (although they are still eligible to elect for the scheme within a year of the closure of the building in which they had been living, few of them are likely to join once they have been resited); and 4,846 made their own arrangements but reserved their right to join within a year. Although the number of people dispossessed from dangerous buildings was considerably lower than in the previous year, the propor- tion joining the rent advance scheme and accepting immediate resettle- ment was substantially higher-36% as against 22%. One reason for this improvement was the opening of the new Ngau Tau Kok estate which proved popular not only with Kowloon residents but also attracted families from the Island.

36. Since the rent advance scheme began, the department has registered a total of 36,126 people from dangerous buildings, of whom 16,039 have opted to join and been resettled, 3,664 have been resited and 11,577 have made their own arrangements. The remaining 4,846 had not decided to join the scheme immediately but had retained an option to do so until the end of the year.

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