Paper for Provisional Legislative Council
Panel on Housing

Policy on Temporary Housing Areas and Rehousing Arrangements for Temporary Housing Area Residents

Purpose

This paper informs Members of the policy on clearance of Temporary Housing Areas and arrangements to rehouse the residents.

Background

2.Temporary Housing Areas (THAs) provide accommodation for the homeless and those affected by clearances and natural disasters who are not immediately eligible for permanent public rental housing (PRH). Under the existing policy, THA residents are required to fulfil the following criteria in order to be eligible for PRH upon clearance :-

  1. they have been living as licensed residents in THAs on or before 23.9.1995; or they have moved into THAs as licensed residents after 23.9.1995 due to previous clearance operations announced on or before that date;

  2. they must be in genuine residence at the affected THA units; and

  3. they must not own any domestic property, or have entered into any agreement for the purchase of any domestic property, or have disposed of any such property within 24 months before the date of announcement of clearance.

Clearance of remaining Temporary Housing Areas

3.We will clear all remaining old-style Temporary Housing Areas by 2000. This will help to improve the living conditions of those affected and to free land for development. A new form of vertical interim housing will be built in the New Territories to accommodate the families who are not eligible for public rental housing. The Housing Authority (HA) is identifying rehousing resources for those families affected to PRH or interim housing.

4.There were 55 THAs in the territory prior to the implementation of the accelerated THA clearance programme in April 1993. By the end of October 1997, 37 THAs had been demolished. Seven of the outstanding 18 THAs will be cleared between 1997 and 1999, and the remaining 11 THAs will be cleared by the end of 2000. The clearance programme is shown at Annex A.

5.The 4,896 families already living in these 11 THAs and eligible for PRH had been offered for PRH at least once through " Direct Offer " . As at end of October 1997, 2,503 (51%) families have been rehoused while 2,393 (49%) families have rejected the offer and opted to remain in the THAs. The progress of rehousing the residents living in these 11 THAs is shown at Annex B. The HA will continue to identify suitable rehousing resources for these families.

6.Subject to the availability of sufficient rehousing resources, HA will consider to satisfy the needs of the affected residents as far as practicable.

Mean tests affecting THA clearees

7.In his Policy Address on 8 October, the Chief Executive said that, in order to ensure that public rental housing flats go to those in genuine need, the Government will introduce in 1998 a means test covering income and assets for all prospective public housing tenants. The Government is working out the implementation details of this policy, including how THA clearees will be affected.


Housing Department
December 1997

Annex A

Clearance of the Outstanding 18 THAs

Name of THAs No. of Families Tentative Clearance
Tsing Kin 200
Hing Tin 294
Yen Chow Street 147 To be cleared
Hing On 489 in 1997/98
Shing On 511
Tsing Yan 892 To be cleared
Hing Shing 217 in 1998/99
Tseung Kwan O 528
Sha Kok Mei 806
Kai Lok 871
Kai Wo 173
Kai Yiu 155 To be cleared
Kwai Shun 112 by 2000
Kwai Lok 121
Tsing On 130
Fat Tseung Street 546
Lung Puing Road 271
Long Bin 468
Total6931

Annex B

Progress of Rehousing eligible families in the remaining 11 THAs
(Position as at 31.10.1997)

Names of THAs No. of Families
Given Offers 		No. of Families
Accepted Offers		 No. of Families
Rejected Offers
Kwai Shun 149 73 76
Tsing On 144 63 81
Kwai Lok 199 97 102
Tseung Kwan O 616 320 296
Kai Lok 1174 573 601
Kai Wo 203 87 116
Kai Yiu 173 75 98
Fat Tseung Street 933 599 334
Lung Ping Road 342 163 179
Long Bin 167 48 119
Sha Kok Mei 796 405 391
Total4 8962 5032 393