Impressive Housing Blocks In Hong Kong

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30179, 10 July 1963, Page 9

Impressive Housing Blocks In Hong Kong

A Canterbury farmer, Mr A. C. Begg, of Mount Somers, who until a few weeks ago was chairman of the Dominion meat and wool section of Federated Fanners, has been greatly impressed by the efforts being made by the Hong Kong Government to house refugees from China. He recently visited the city. Mr Begg said that for a start, five-storey blocks of apartment hpuses had been built. They had subsequently been extended to seven storeys, and now 20-storey blocks were being built. Each of these blocks had 40 flats to a floor and only families of five or more were allowed into the 800 flats in each block. This meant that a town the size of Ashburton could be accommodated in two, of these blocks. The blocks were now being built in groups of eight and 10. Bulldozers were pushing hills into the sea to make flat ground for them.

Mr Begg said that each flat had its bathing facilities. The blocks had lifts and there were schools on top for the children who were swarming over the buildings. School was held in two shifts. Although rents were low, Mr Begg said, the blocks of flats were becoming selfperpetuating in that revenue from the existing ones was now being put into further buildings. But in spite of all this

building, Mr Begg said, there were still a lot of squatters living in shacks. But he had seen no evidence of malnutrition in Hong Kong. All of the children seemed to be “bouncing.” No-one seemed to be without shoes and all were well fed. He had not seen one beggar in the streets, but if the visitor stood still for half a minute he was nearly swept off his feet by boys wanting to shine his shoes. They wanted money for the service and were not begging. The water supply was on

for only four hours a day and men, women and children from the shack settlements queued up on the pavements to collect their water. All of these people looked well fed and well shod. There were very efficient Chinese welfare organisations that took care of those who suffered disaster. Fire was continually running through the shack settlements and in one night while he was in Hong Kong about 70 families were left homeless. But these welfare organisations quickly came to the rescue, providing accommodation, food and clothing, and quickly setting these families up again. These organisations had the advantage of local knowledge.