April 1954, the Resettlement Department was created to look after the new resettlement blocks, to take over the resettlement cottage areas which had been established in an earlier attempt to solve the squatter problem, and to be generally responsible for the control and resettle- ment of squatters. Some of these duties had previously been the re- sponsibility of divisions of the Urban Services Department, the Public Works Department and the Social Welfare Office, and officers from these departments formed the nucleus of the new department. By the end of March 1972 the department was managing 25 residential estates and 22 factory blocks, as well as 14 cottage areas.
4. In September 1964 the Legislative Council approved a White Paper entitled 'Review of Policies for Squatter Control, Resettlement and Government Low Cost Housing' as a general guide to future policy. The White Paper provided for the setting up of licensed areas' under the control of the Commissioner for Resettlement in which, on pay- ment of licence fees, the genuinely homeless would be able to erect huts and where certain minimum services would be provided. As a corollary to the establishment of licensed areas strict control of new squatting elsewhere would continue to be enforced. Existing tolerated structures would be contained and their removal effected by the normal process of clearance and resettlement. The White Paper then set out seven priorities to be followed, as far as possible, in determining eligibility for resettlement, and it recommended an increased resettle- ment building programme.
5. A further result of the 1964 White Paper was the appointment of a Housing Board in June 1965. The Board's main functions are to keep the housing situation and housing policy under review and to recommend changes.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
6. Progress on the scheme for the conversion of Shek Kip Mei Estate has not been without problems as the complexities involved in moving out, without option, the 60,000 plus occupants of this oldest estate became evident. Surveys designed to determine the attitudes and preferences of families affected have to be conducted and the actual task of moving tenants out of Shek Kip Mei is not expected to begin till later in 1972.
7. During the year, 159 clearance operations involving 294 acres of land and 50,000 squatters were carried out.
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