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SEVEN SOME ASPECTS OF THE HON G KON G RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMM E by P. B I S H O P * This stud y attempt s t o d o tw o things ; first t o sketc h i n th e squatte r backgroun d to resettlemen t i n Hon g Kon g an d secondl y t o indicat e som e o f th e effect s o f resettlement, bot h o n the communit y an d o n the squatter himself . Our knowledg e of thi s subjec t i s patchy : ther e ar e certai n area s wher e informatio n i s a t presen t sorely lackin g an d conclusion s mus t b e conjectural . The cause s of squattin g i n Hon g Kon g ar e well-known. A t th e outbrea k o f th e Japanese wa r th e population , alread y very considerably swollen , was in the regio n of 1. 6 million . B y the end o f the war this had bee n reduced b y something like one million. A yea r late r th e figure ha d returne d t o 1. 6 millio n an d b y 195 6 i t wa s estimated t o b e ove r 2. 5 million . O f th e increas e o f nearl y tw o millio n betwee n 1945 and 195 6 it is thought tha t abou t on e millio n represente d ne w immigration , mostly befor e th e governmen t impose d a quota syste m i n 1950 , wit h th e balanc e made up equall y of returning pre-wa r resident s and natura l increase. The housin g stock ha d bee n badl y deplete d b y damag e an d neglec t durin g th e wa r an d this , coupled wit h th e dramati c increas e i n numbers , meant that thos e unable t o affor d what accommodation was available had little choice but to become squatters. Most of this squatting took plac e in the urban areas ; since immigrants had fe w agricultura l opportunities i n Hon g Kon g the y therefore usuall y sough t employmen t i n town . Squatting i n the built-up area s not only brought the m within relatively easy reac h of potential employmen t bu t als o went some way towards satisfyin g th e desire fo r independence an d home-ownership . However , no t al l squatter s wer e recen t im migrants : a n unknow n bu t probabl y sizeabl e proportio n consiste d o f pre-wa r residents wh o eithe r ha d sol d thei r home s t o wealthie r immigrant s thu s makin g themselves homeles s or been force d ou t b y landlords seekin g higher rents. Redevelopment o f ol d property , whe n i t came , was of littl e hel p t o th e bul k o f the populatio n since , unlik e pre-wa r property , rent s i n post-wa r tenement s wer e uncontrolled. Moreover , u p t o 195 6 mos t domesti c tenement s wer e onl y fou r storeys high . Indeed , redevelopmen t t o som e exten t contribute d toward s th e squatter proble m sinc e tenant s coul d no t alway s affor d th e highe r rent s o r th e purchase pric e o f redevelope d tenements . Fo r instance , figures produce d b y th e Tenancy Inquir y Burea u o f the Secretaria t fo r Chines e Affairs sho w that ove r th e period October 196 3 to June 1965 , 61% of 'exclusion order' cases (i.e. the occupants * Assistan t Director , Recreatio n an d Amenities , Hon g Kon g Government ; formerl y Assistan t Commissioner fo r Resettlement . Th e view s expresse d ar e th e author' s an d d o no t necessaril y represent thos e o f th e Hon g Kon g Government . This Chapte r i s referred t o i n th e discussions in the Appendix . 112 P...

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