1961 — Page 26

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 26 of 110

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

The first suggestion has to do with primary education in the resettlement areas and estates. I am told that there are many children of primary school age who cannot go to school because the income of the family is below that of subsistence level. Would it not be possible for the Education Department to provide scholarships, full or partial, through the Boys & Girls Clubs, perhaps the Social Welfare Department or the Family Welfare Association, to be awarded to those resettlement children whose families cannot afford to pay the requisite fees?

The second suggestion which appears to be constructive is the formation of an Industrial Development Corporation, partly for the purpose of building and managing flatted factories in resettlement estates. This suggestion was also made by my colleague, Mr. Ernest WONG. These flatted factories would be additional to those put up by the Resettlement Department for squatter factories that are cleared. The establishment of an Industrial Development Corporation could stimulate more employment and an improvement in the quality and production of our local handicraft and light industries in resettlement estates. It could also reduce the present undesirable tendency to use ground floor flats and even multi-storey flats in residential areas as factory units.

Turning to the low-cost housing schemes of the Resettlement Department, we are now told by Government, after much prodding, that preliminary work has started on two sites at Hung Hom and Kwun Tong. If my recollection is correct, the completion of at least one of these two projects is one year behind schedule, and I have come to the logical conclusion that one of the cogent reasons for this delay is the definite lack of coordination in Government's public housing policy—a criticism which was strongly voiced by the Special Committee on Housing at the time its final report was released two years ago. Even today this criticism is just as valid.

With the Resettlement Department now entering the field of low-cost housing, as apart from resettlement accommodation, I am convinced that immediate steps must be taken to bring some positive order out of the confusion and loose coordination that exists in Government's public housing policy.

For the past few years Government's public housing policy has been floundering in a morass of uncertainty and indecision. There has been no recognized and established coordinating authority for the different aspects of public housing. All we know is that someone in the Central Government Offices is supposed to be all-knowing and all-powerful in this matter. So what happens! Our resettlement estate building programme lags, our low-cost housing projects for families under $300 monthly is one year behind schedule, and no one is willing to accept the responsibility. This unhappy situation is undesirable and should be rectified forthwith.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I therefore propose that the Housing Authority be given the responsibility of coordinating all aspects of Government's public housing, and that the Authority's present low-cost housing programme be transferred to the Urban Council. The Housing Division of the Urban Services Department could be replaced by a Housing Department, with functions as broadly indicated in the Final Report of the Special Committee on Housing.

As a result of this re-organization, the Housing Authority will be able to plan and coordinate the various aspects of resettlement and low-cost housing. It would mean that all public funds for resettlement and low-cost housing should come through one central source. And since public money is involved, I would even go so far as to say that funds for housing cooperatives for civil servants should also be coordinated through the Housing Authority.

In transferring the Housing Authority's present low-cost housing programme to the Urban Council, it might be necessary to constitute a Low-Cost Housing Select Committee within the Council, as apart from the existing two Resettlement Select Committees. The Resettlement Department would continue operating under the Resettlement Select Committees, and the new Housing Department under the Low-Cost Housing Select Committee. This latter Committee would be responsible for low-cost housing of the more self-contained type of accommodation, which would include the Housing Authority's present programme and the Resettlement Department's new projects at Kwun Tong and Hung Hom.

The proposed Housing Department with its administrative, statistical, survey, architectural and other sections would furthermore be the right arm of the re-organized Housing Authority insofar as the overall planning and coordinating of public housing policy is concerned.

When and if the proposed reorganization takes place, the question of a more long term housing plan will have to be tackled more systematically than has previously been the case, and I suggest that with a properly functioning Housing Department, it should not be too difficult for the reorganized Housing Authority to formulate a realistic 10 to 15 year public housing plan for Hong Kong.

It has been put to me that there is an urgent need for building societies in Hong Kong to enable the white-collar class and professional groups to purchase their own flats on the instalment plan. It should be the responsibility of the re-organized Housing Authority to work

Page 26 of 110

(continue next page... text not shown)

Page 26 of 110

Edit History

2026-05-13 16:55:35 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct

Live

View comparison

AI Proofread

Page 26 of 110 36 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL The first suggestion has to do with primary education in the resettlement areas and estates. I am told that there are many children of primary school age who cannot go to school because the income of the family is below that of subsistence level. Would it not be possible for the Education Department to provide scholarships, full or partial, through the Boys & Girls Clubs, perhaps the Social Welfare Department or the Family Welfare Association, to be awarded to those resettlement children whose families cannot afford to pay the requisite fees? The second suggestion which appears to be constructive is the formation of an Industrial Development Corporation, partly for the purpose of building and managing flatted factories in resettlement estates. This suggestion was also made by my colleague, Mr. Ernest WONG. These flatted factories would be additional to those put up by the Resettlement Department for squatter factories that are cleared. The establishment of an Industrial Development Corporation could stimulate more employment and an improvement in the quality and production of our local handicraft and light industries in resettlement estates. It could also reduce the present undesirable tendency to use ground floor flats and even multi-storey flats in residential areas as factory units. Turning to the low-cost housing schemes of the Resettlement Department, we are now told by Government, after much prodding, that preliminary work has started on two sites at Hung Hom and Kwun Tong. If my recollection is correct, the completion of at least one of these two projects is one year behind schedule, and I have come to the logical conclusion that one of the cogent reasons for this delay is the definite lack of coordination in Government's public housing policy—a criticism which was strongly voiced by the Special Committee on Housing at the time its final report was released two years ago. Even today this criticism is just as valid. With the Resettlement Department now entering the field of low-cost housing, as apart from resettlement accommodation, I am convinced that immediate steps must be taken to bring some positive order out of the confusion and loose coordination that exists in Government's public housing policy. For the past few years Government's public housing policy has been floundering in a morass of uncertainty and indecision. There has been no recognized and established coordinating authority for the different aspects of public housing. All we know is that someone in the Central Government Offices is supposed to be all-knowing and all-powerful in this matter. So what happens! Our resettlement estate building programme lags, our low-cost housing projects for families under $300 monthly is one year behind schedule, and no one is willing to accept the responsibility. This unhappy situation is undesirable and should be rectified forthwith. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 37 I therefore propose that the Housing Authority be given the responsibility of coordinating all aspects of Government's public housing, and that the Authority's present low-cost housing programme be transferred to the Urban Council. The Housing Division of the Urban Services Department could be replaced by a Housing Department, with functions as broadly indicated in the Final Report of the Special Committee on Housing. As a result of this re-organization, the Housing Authority will be able to plan and coordinate the various aspects of resettlement and low-cost housing. It would mean that all public funds for resettlement and low-cost housing should come through one central source. And since public money is involved, I would even go so far as to say that funds for housing cooperatives for civil servants should also be coordinated through the Housing Authority. In transferring the Housing Authority's present low-cost housing programme to the Urban Council, it might be necessary to constitute a Low-Cost Housing Select Committee within the Council, as apart from the existing two Resettlement Select Committees. The Resettlement Department would continue operating under the Resettlement Select Committees, and the new Housing Department under the Low-Cost Housing Select Committee. This latter Committee would be responsible for low-cost housing of the more self-contained type of accommodation, which would include the Housing Authority's present programme and the Resettlement Department's new projects at Kwun Tong and Hung Hom. The proposed Housing Department with its administrative, statistical, survey, architectural and other sections would furthermore be the right arm of the re-organized Housing Authority insofar as the overall planning and coordinating of public housing policy is concerned. When and if the proposed reorganization takes place, the question of a more long term housing plan will have to be tackled more systematically than has previously been the case, and I suggest that with a properly functioning Housing Department, it should not be too difficult for the reorganized Housing Authority to formulate a realistic 10 to 15 year public housing plan for Hong Kong. It has been put to me that there is an urgent need for building societies in Hong Kong to enable the white-collar class and professional groups to purchase their own flats on the instalment plan. It should be the responsibility of the re-organized Housing Authority to work Page 26 of 110 38 (continue next page... text not shown) Page 26 of 110

Baseline (Original)

|| 4 Page 26 of 110 36 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL The first suggestion has to do with primary education in the resettlement areas and estates. I am told that there are many children of primary school age who cannot go to school because the income of the family is below that of subsistence level. Would it not be possible for the Education Department to provide scholarships, full or partial, through the Boys & Girls Clubs, perhaps the Social Welfare Department or the Family Welfare Association, to be awarded to those resettlement children whose families cannot afford to pay the requisite fees? The second suggestion which appears to be constructive is the formation of an Industrial Development Corporation, partly for the purpose of building and managing flatted factories in resettlement estates. This suggestion was also made by my colleague, Mr. Ernest WONG. These flatted factories would be additional to those put up by the Resettlement Department for squatter factories that are cleared. The establishment of an Industrial Development Corporation could stimulate more employment and an improvement in the quality and production of our local handicraft and light industries in resettlement estates. It could also reduce the present undesirable tendency to use ground floor flats and even multi-storey flats in residential areas as factory units. Turning to the low-cost housing schemes of the Resettlement Depart- ment, we are now told by Government, after much prodding, that pre- liminary work has started on two sites at Hung Hom and Kwun Tong. If my recollection is correct, the completion of at least one of these two projects is one year behind schedule, and I have come to the logical conclusion that one of the cogent reasons for this delay is the definite lack of coordination in Government's public housing policy--a criticism which was strongly voiced by the Special Committee on Housing at the time its final report was released two years ago. Even today this criticism is just as valid. With the Resettlement Department now entering the field of low- cost housing, as apart from resettlement accommodation, I am convinced that immediate steps must be taken to bring some positive order out of the confusion and loose coordination that exists in Government's public housing policy. For the past few years Government's public housing policy has been floundering in a morass of uncertainty and indecision. There has been no recognized and established coordinating authority for the different aspects of public housing. All we know is that someone in the Central Government Offices is supposed to be all-knowing and all- powerful in this matter. So what happens! Our resettlement estate building programme lags, our low-cost housing projects for families HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 37 under $300 monthly is one year behind schedule, and no one is willing to accept the responsibility. This unhappy situation is undesirable and should be rectified forthwith. I therefore propose that the Housing Authority be given the responsibility of coordinating all aspects of Government's public housing, and that the Authority's present low-cost housing programme be transferred to the Urban Council. The Housing Division of the Urban Services Department could be replaced by a Housing Department, with functions as broadly indicated in the Final Report of the Special Committee on Housing. As a result of this re-organization, the Housing Authority will be able to plan and coordinate the various aspects of resettlement and low-cost housing. It would mean that all public funds for resettlement and low-cost housing should come through one central source. And since public money is involved, I would even go so far as to say that funds for housing cooperatives for civil servants should also be co- ordinated through the Housing Authority. In transferring the Housing Authority's present low-cost housing programme to the Urban Council, it might be necessary to constitute a Low-Cost Housing Select Committee within the Council, as apart from the existing two Resettlement Select Committees. The Resettle- ment Department would continue operating under the Resettlement Select Committees, and the new Housing Department under the Low- Cost Housing Select Committee. This latter Committee would be responsible for low-cost housing of the more self-contained type of accommodation, which would include the Housing Authority's present programme and the Resettlement Department's new projects at Kwun Tong and Hung Hom. The proposed Housing Department with its administrative, statistical, survey, architectural and other sections would furthermore be the right arm of the re-organized Housing Authority insofar as the overall planning and coordinating of public housing policy is concerned. When and if the proposed reorganization takes place, the question of a more long term housing plan will have to be tackled more systematically than has previously been the case, and I suggest that with a properly functioning Housing Department, it should not be too difficult for the reorganized Housing Authority to formulate a realistic 10 to 15 year public housing plan for Hong Kong. It has been put to me that there is an urgent need for building societies in Hong Kong to enable the white-collar class and professional groups to purchase their own flats on the instalment plan. It should be the responsibility of the re-organized Housing Authority to work

2026-05-13 16:55:35 · Baseline

View content

Page 26 of 110

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Turning to the low-cost housing schemes of the Resettlement Depart- ment, we are now told by Government, after much prodding, that pre- liminary work has started on two sites at Hung Hom and Kwun Tong. If my recollection is correct, the completion of at least one of these two projects is one year behind schedule, and I have come to the logical conclusion that one of the cogent reasons for this delay is the definite lack of coordination in Government's public housing policy--a criticism which was strongly voiced by the Special Committee on Housing at the time its final report was released two years ago. Even today this criticism is just as valid.

With the Resettlement Department now entering the field of low- cost housing, as apart from resettlement accommodation, I am convinced that immediate steps must be taken to bring some positive order out of the confusion and loose coordination that exists in Government's public housing policy.

For the past few years Government's public housing policy has been floundering in a morass of uncertainty and indecision. There has been no recognized and established coordinating authority for the different aspects of public housing. All we know is that someone in the Central Government Offices is supposed to be all-knowing and all- powerful in this matter. So what happens! Our resettlement estate building programme lags, our low-cost housing projects for families

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

under $300 monthly is one year behind schedule, and no one is willing to accept the responsibility. This unhappy situation is undesirable and should be rectified forthwith.

In transferring the Housing Authority's present low-cost housing programme to the Urban Council, it might be necessary to constitute a Low-Cost Housing Select Committee within the Council, as apart from the existing two Resettlement Select Committees. The Resettle- ment Department would continue operating under the Resettlement Select Committees, and the new Housing Department under the Low- Cost Housing Select Committee. This latter Committee would be responsible for low-cost housing of the more self-contained type of accommodation, which would include the Housing Authority's present programme and the Resettlement Department's new projects at Kwun Tong and Hung Hom.

1961 — Page 26

Edit History

Comments

Private Research Note