Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1968-1969 — Page 35

authorized household by adding close relatives (as distinct from new-born children) arises from traditional family loyalties and the fact that many Chinese families have in recent years been parted only to be reunited around a nucleus in Hong Kong.

78. Up to November, 1968, when rooms became too crowded (in general, when room-density reached 16 square feet for each adult), families were eligible to move to larger rooms in other estates, or in the same estate if any suitable rooms were available. This was known as 'direct decantation'. In addition, there was an 'indirect decantation' scheme whereby families living in some estates with more than 16 square feet an adult could apply to move to certain other estates in order to release their rooms for re-allocation to overcrowded families. In November a new scheme of 'internal' and 'external' decantation was introduced in place of the previous scheme. The new policy provides for a set qualifying density for internal decantation in individual estates which is adjusted from time to time to balance the number of families willing to move with the number of rooms of appropriate sizes vacant within the same estate (at present, the qualifying densities vary from 16 square feet to 23.9 square feet). External decantation is available to families who have less than 24 square feet for each adult and who are willing to move to new develop- ing estates. Although the quota. for the year was 30,000 new places, only 11,315 persons actually moved to new estates, due partly to the delay in completing certain blocks at the more popular estates of Ngau Tau Kok and Tsz Wan Shan. However, a further 26,833 people moved into recovered rooms in the old estates, making a total of 38,148 persons given more room.

79. The worst overcrowding is naturally found in the oldest estates where rooms rarely fall vacant and where many families, even those with less than 16 square feet an adult, refuse to move to larger rooms in the new estates. The three most overcrowded estates are Shek Kip Mei, Lei Cheng Uk and Tai Hang Tung, and the opening of the first three blocks at the nearby Pak Tin estate in February provided an opportunity for the most overcrowded families in these estates to move to Pak Tin. About 70% of those to whom offers were made accepted accommodation at Pak Tin: the remainder rejected the offer on grounds ranging from inability to pay the higher rents (and the cost of re- establishing themselves in new rooms) to disapproval of the particular room offered.

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