ENG-1988 — Page 221

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HOUSING

Major Operation Unit, which cleared 900 illegal hawkers in the estates, the staff at estate level have also undertaken 8 400 cases of seizure and 1 800 cases of prosecution to deter illegal hawking in estates.

Letting of Commercial Properties

The Housing Authority manages 1.16 million square metres of commercial space, including shops, market stalls, banks and restaurants, held under some 29 000 separate tenancies and producing a total rental income of $1,266 million during 1987-8.

The stock includes 7 044 ‘graded' shop tenancies in former resettlement estates. These shops were let initially at very low rents and current rents are, in most cases, less than one-third of current market levels despite moderate biennial increases since 1976. Rents for other commercial premises are fixed at market levels, in keeping with the authority's policy not to subsidise commercial operators.

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As part of the re-organisation of the authority, a new Commercial Properties Commit- tee was constituted to oversee all aspects of Housing Authority commercial properties management. Under the auspices of the committee, emphasis on research and design was maintained during the year to ensure new commercial centres are best suited to the needs of both tenants and local residents, and to upgrade existing centres where necessary. Promotional activities were held in 56 estates to sustain and enhance the competitiveness of the authority's existing commercial facilities. Shops and market stalls continued to be let mainly by rental tendering, although an increased number of premises were let by negotiation which has brought more well-known retailers into estates.

The arrangements by which a rent review is conducted every six months to ensure that tenants affected by the Extended Redevelopment Programme are not being asked to pay rent in excess of market value, has not been extended to cover tenants affected by the Compre- hensive Redevelopment Programme. Tenants required to vacate their premises to facilitate redevelopment receive an ex-gratia payment and, where possible, reprovisioning in alterna- tive premises through restricted tender. A three-month rent-free period is then granted.

Temporary Housing

Temporary Housing Areas (THAS) continued to play an important role in providing places for people made homeless by natural disasters or displaced by development clearances, but who are not immediately eligible for permanent housing.

During the year, 14 000 people mostly affected by development clearances were allocated units in THAS, but at the same time 23 000 people moved out mainly to permanent public housing through the general waiting list, trawling, or clearances of THAS.

Temporary housing spaces for 16 000 people were completed in the year, against a loss of 7 000, mainly due to the development of existing sites. While THAS with 22 000 person spaces were under construction, there was still an acute shortage of sites for THA development in the urban areas.

At the end of the year, there were 70 THAs throughout the territory housing 116 000 people from 40 000 families.

Residents of THAs have priority in the purchase of HOS flats or may be granted an interest free loan of $70,000 to buy a flat in the private sector under the newly-introduced Home Purchase Loan Scheme.

Transit Centres

At the end of the year, there were eight transit centres with a capacity of 1 608 person spaces providing emergency accommodation for those rendered homeless by fires, typhoons, or