ENG-1977 — Page 147

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HOUSING AND LAND

In Hong Kong, four new domestic blocks will form Phase I of the redevelop- ment of Chai Wan West Estate. These blocks, built on the site of two demolished Mark I blocks and due for completion in 1979, will provide 900 flats for 5,500 people. Also included in this phase of development are 11 shops, sitting-out areas and recrea- tion grounds, with trees and playground equipment.

Work has begun on the first phase of redevelopment of Tai Wo Hau Estate to provide a total of 1,160 modern flats for 6,900 people.

This phase involves the construction of a double-H block of 26 to 28 storeys on a site made available by demolishing two old blocks. Also included in this phase is an 18-storey slab block to be built on a nearby site acquired from the Urban Services Department.

In addition to these redevelopment schemes, 80 new premises were provided during the year by the conversion, on a number of estates, of non-domestic areas into self- contained flats. An additional approach was developed during the year in Block II at Lok Fu Estate, where the original 121 Mark I small rooms were converted into 75 flats, each providing a living room, private balcony, sink and cooking bench with individual toilets in the centre of the block. The expense of this conversion can only be justified where the redevelopment of the block is not expected for some years. However, since many tenants in these older estates are eager to move to new estates, it may be possible to extend this scheme to other areas.

Eligibility

During the year, 79,500 eligible persons were allocated public housing in these categories: victims of fire and natural disasters; compassionate cases recommended by the Social Welfare Department or the Medical and Health Department; tenants of properties acquired for urban renewal; tenants of early housing estates under redevelopment; residents of temporary housing areas; relief of overcrowding in public housing estates; waiting-list applicants; junior civil servants and pensioners; and quarters for caretakers and shop tenants.

However, the normal way to obtain accommodation is through the waiting list. Any family of three people who are residents of Hong Kong can apply to the Housing Authority for accommodation. The waiting list is long; since 1967, when the general list was opened, 364,000 families have applied. Applications are considered in date order, but accommodation is only offered to those found, on investigation, to be living in poor housing conditions, and the family income has to be within a scale related to family size. This scale, which is adjusted periodically in accordance with the index of Nominal Average Daily Wages for Industrial Workers, was revised during the year. At the end of 1977, the scale ranged from $1,800 a month for a family of three to a maximum of $2,600 for a family of 10 or more.

The Housing Authority's Management Committee also amended the waiting list criteria to permit two-person households to register. In future, husband and wife couples, instead of the present minimum of three persons, will be able to register on the waiting list for public housing. This will enable newly-weds to delay starting their families for a few years, thus getting a better financial start to their marriage, rather than deciding to have a child soon after marriage so that they could apply under the three-person eligibility limit.