ENG-1989 — Page 218

HOUSING

The Long Term Housing Strategy, endorsed by the Executive Council in 1987, envisaged the need to extend the redevelopment programme from Mark I-II estates to all Mark III-IV and former government low-cost housing estates, to improve the living environment in these estates. The current five-year rolling redevelopment programme for 1989–90 to 1993-4, involving 253 blocks accommodating 69 000 families, was made public in May 1989. The affected tenants will be formally notified 18 to 24 months before the clear- ance dates.

Maintenance

With 146 rental estates and 56 HOS courts under its care, comprising some 4 500 buildings and structures, and about half of them over 15 years of age, the Housing Authority carried out a major review of its maintenance policies and strengthened the planning process to improve its services to tenants and owners.

In carrying out work on the buildings, which range from blocks of flats, shopping centres and offices to multi-storey carparks and community facilities, it spent some $1,200 million during the year.

Greater emphasis has been placed on communication with tenants, so that whenever a comprehensive repair contract is undertaken, mutual aid committees, housing management and maintenance staff and contractors meet to consider the proposals and work progress. For information, two booklets were produced on What You Should Know About Asbestos, and What You Should Know About Strengthening and Repairs, as well as a video on repair proposals.

As a result of extensive surveys and structural investigations, some reinforced-concrete buildings, which are particularly vulnerable to deterioration, were found to have sub- standard concrete and required strengthening. The repairs carried out ranged from minor patching to very extensive works.

The six-year comprehensive repair programme launched in 1987 to ensure that existing buildings remain serviceable, gathered momentum during the year with contracts worth $182 million being let, covering 74 buildings. Good progress was made, with 1 500 flats being repaired each month. Some 300 000 concrete spalling repair operations were under- taken, totalling 65 000 square metres. To minimise inconvenience to tenants, new repair materials, techniques and improved working procedures were introduced, thereby reducing the time spent on each flat.

Since 1984, the authority has ceased using materials containing asbestos in the construc- tion of buildings and has had an established policy for control of asbestos materials already present in buildings. The removal of such materials presents particular difficulties in occupied buildings. Whenever possible, in these circumstances, materials are sealed in place, and where removal is necessary, specialist contractors are engaged and strict measures are taken to monitor the air. On this basis some 44 000 balcony panels were sealed during the year. The cost of the abatement work totalled $18 million and the cost of air monitoring $7.5 million.

A programme for the electrical rewiring of almost all estates constructed prior to 1973 was completed at a cost of $215 million. The programme upgraded the capacity of supply installations so as to allow unrestricted use of electrical appliances such as air- conditioners, thereby benefiting some 153 000 homes. A programme was completed for providing communal aerials to 204 000 homes.

Regular servicing is carried out to ensure that the 4 000 lifts in public housing estates are reliable, and in addition, a modernisation programme has been started to replace 53 lifts in

181