The Housing Authority's Management and Operations Committee today (Saturday) endorsed proposals to defer the physical clearance of 12 Temporary Housing Areas so as to meet the heavy demand for temporary housing accommodation in the next two years.

Direct offer of public rental housing will be made to all residents in the 12 Temporary Housing Areas (THAs) before the end of 1997, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Chan Kam-man, said.

The 12 THAs to be retained, as a temporary measure, are Fat Tseung Street, Kai Lok, Kai Wo, Hing Shing, Kwai Shun, Kai Yiu, Lung Ping Road, Yen Chow Street, Tsing On, Tseung Kwan O, Sha Kok Mei and Kwai Lok.

About 9,000 person-spaces of temporary accommodation will be created after rehousing the existing residents of these 12 THAs.

"The creation of vacancies in urban THAs will benefit urban squatter clearees who are at present only eligible for THAs in the New Territories," Mr Chan said. "They may now be offered accommodation in the urban area."

"For squatter clearances already announced, clearees who accept rehousing to THAs before the end of the year will be treated the same as existing THA residents and receive public rental housing offers before the end of 1997," he explained.

"The new arrangement will be reviewed in two years in the light of the overall supply and demand situation at the time," he added.

Mr Chan pointed out that from 1 January 1996 people rehoused to THAs, no matter whether in the urban area or in the New Territories, would be required to submit an application under the General Waiting List for public rental housing. 

"Their subsequent rehousing to public rental housing will be dependent upon maturity of their Waiting List applications, which take into account their choice of districts," Mr Chan said.

"In case the THA is to be cleared before their Waiting List applications mature, they will be rehoused to another THA and have to wait for their turn through the Waitina List.

The change in policy will prevent people from jumping the queue through illegal squatting and will send a clear message that the General Waiting List is the main access to public rental housing.


On the progress of the Governor's pledges, Mr Chan said that 57 per cent of the THA population as at October 1992 had been rehoused and 64 per cent of those living at THAs as at the end of 1993 had been given offer of public rental housing.

"We aim to rehouse by 1937 75 per cent of THA population as at October 1992 and to give at least one offer of rental housing to all those living in THAs as at end 1993," he added.

"Our plan to clear the 14 pre-1984 THAs by 1996 is also in good progress, with seven already demolished and the remainder being cleared," Mr Chan said.

End/Saturday, September 23, 1995
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