Page 95 of 312
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
estates in the first instance, and they were applied at Jordan Valley and Hung Hom. They were also extended to all five new estates opened in the early part of 1964. No Area Officer is authorized to make additions to households, but the Assistant Resettlement Officer in charge of an estate is, except in the case of 4 old estates, whose records have not yet been decentralized from Headquarters to the estate office. In these cases, the appropriate Resettlement Officer in charge of a group of estates has the necessary authority. Borderline cases come to Headquarters for a decision.
There have been administrative arrangements since November 1962 to relieve overcrowding when room densities fell below 16 sq. ft. In December 1963 the same two Select Committees approved a recommendation that larger rooms should be offered to families whose room density had fallen below 16 sq. ft. per adult, taking into account authorized additions as newly defined. This decision applied only to the 4 oldest estates, Shek Kip Mei, Tai Hang Tung, Li Cheng Uk, and Hung Hom, where overcrowding was most serious, but Members of the Resettlement (Policy) Select Committee decided on 9th June, 1964 to extend the relief of overcrowding to the other estates and this will be done when the next offer of transfers to new Mark III blocks is made. It is open to any settler to apply in writing for larger accommodation either through the Area Officers in charge of blocks, or through any more senior officer. Officers in charge of estates are expected to recommend cases which qualify for relief of overcrowding, but the control and allocation of new accommodation is done at Headquarters because it generally involves moving the family concerned to another estate.
I am aware that some people in the resettlement estates approach Urban Councillors direct for approval to add wives and other relatives to their households. I think that their reason for doing so is generally because, under the more rigid policy of this Council in force up to about 6 months ago, their previous applications had to be refused on grounds of space. It would help to speed up action in such cases if Councillors would advise applicants to go to the officer-in-charge of their estate as soon as possible.
All officers in the new estates, and in the decentralized old estates, as well as Group Resettlement Officers in charge of the 4 old estates which have not yet been decentralized, have instructions on how to deal with applications for additions and relief of overcrowding. I would therefore welcome information on any instance where the new policy appears to have been disregarded. Members will appreciate that there is nothing we can do at present for families living at a density of 16 sq. ft. or over, and that a vacant room is not always immediately available for those who do qualify for relief from overcrowding. Nor do families offered a larger room always accept it if it is situated in another estate.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, may I say that I think it is quite true that in resettlement estates people, with additions to the family, have asked so many times that they think they cannot ask any more to have bigger rooms. May I ask the Commissioner, through the Chairman, if it is possible or advisable to put notices up saying exactly what things people can apply for through the Assistant Resettlement Officer or through the Area Officers?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- My understanding is that we have in fact invited applications and we will continue to do so from time to time as more accommodation becomes available for this purpose.
DR. LEE:- I can confirm Mrs. ELLIOTT's point that there are people who come to me for, say, extra accommodation in overcrowded rooms. I presume, Mr. Chairman, the Commissioner for Resettlement is aware of this fact as I have written to him some letters.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Yes, Sir.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:-
His Excellency the Governor, last year gave the Urban Council the opportunity to participate in the work of the main committee on housing by nominating 4 unofficial members to sit on that committee. Can the Chairman inform Members why the Government has released this year's report of a Housing committee and yet has not released the main committee on housing's recommendations, although they were forwarded to Government after the Urban Council was given an opportunity to see and comment on the report last October?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
Sir, the report of the Housing Committee to which you refer is, I assume, the Report of the Finance of Home Ownership Committee.
Page 96 of 312
312
166
Page 95 of 312
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
estates in the first instance, and they were applied at Jordan Valley and Hung Hom. They were also extended to all five new estates opened in the early part of 1964. No Area Officer is authorized to make additions to house- holds, but the Assistant Resettlement Officer in charge of an estate is, except in the case of 4 old estates, whose records have not yet been decentralized from Headquarters to the estate office. In these cases, the appropriate Reset- tlement Officer in charge of a group of estates has the necessary authority. Borderline cases come to Head- quarters for a decision.
There have been administrative arrangements since November 1962 to relieve overcrowding when room densities fell below 16 sq. ft. In December 1963 the same two Select Committees approved a recommendation that larger rooms should be offered to families whose room density had fallen below 16 sq. ft. per adult, taking into account authorized additions as newly defined. This decision applied only to the 4 oldest estates, Shek Kip Mei, Tai Hang Tung, Li Cheng Uk, and Hung Hom, where over- crowding was most serious, but Members of the Resettle- ment (Policy) Select Committee decided on 9th June, 1964 to extend the relief of overcrowding to the other estates and this will be done when the next offer of transfers to new Mark III blocks is made. It is open to any settler to apply in writing for larger accommodation either through the Area Officers in charge of blocks, or through any more senior officer. Officers in charge of estates are expected to recommend cases which qualify for relief of overcrowding, but the control and allocation of new ac- commodation is done at Headquarters because it generally involves moving the family concerned to another estate.
I am aware that some people in the resettlement estates ap- proach Urban Councillors direct for approval to add wives and other relatives to their households. I think that their reason for doing so is generally because, under the more rigid policy of this Council in force up to about 6 months ago, their previous applications had to be refused on grounds of space. It would help to speed up action in such cases if Councillors would advise applicants to go to the officer-in-charge of their estate as soon as possible.
All officers in the new estates, and in the decentralized old estates, as well as Group Resettlement Officers in charge of the 4 old estates which have not yet been decentralized, have instructions on how to deal with applications for
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
167
additions and relief of overcrowding. I would therefore welcome information on any instance where the new policy appears to have been disregarded. Members will appre- ciate that there is nothing we can do at present for families living at a density of 16 sq. ft. or over, and that a vacant room is not always immediately available for those who do qualify for relief from overcrowding. Nor do families offered a larger room always accept it if it is situated in another estate.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I say that I think it is quite true that in resettlement estates people, with additions to the family, have asked so many times that they think they cannot ask any more to have bigger rooms. May I ask the Commissioner, through the Chair- if it is possible or advisable to put notices up saying exactly what things people can apply for through the Assistant Resettlement Officer or through the Area Officers?
man,
COMMISSIONER for ResettlemENT: -My understanding is that we have in fact invited applications and we will continue to do so from time to time as more accommodation becomes available for this purpose.
DR. LEE:-I can confirm Mrs. ELLIOTT's point that there are people who come to me for, say, extra accommodation in overcrowded rooms. I presume, Mr. Chairman, the Commissioner for Resettlement is aware of this fact as I have written to him some letters.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: —Yes, Sir.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question :-
His Excellency the Governor, last year gave the Urban Council the opportunity to participate in the work of the main committee on housing by nominating 4 unofficial members to sit on that committee. Can the Chairman inform Members why the Government has released this year's report of a Housing committee and yet has not released the main committee on housing's recommendations, although they were forwarded to Government after the Urban Council was given an opportunity to see and com- ment on the report last October?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
Sir, the report of the Housing Committee to which you refer is, I assume, the Report of the Finance of Home Owner- ship Committee.
Page 95Page 96
312
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.