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The recovery operation of Lower Shek Kip Mei Estate in Sham Shui Po went smoothly today (October 17) with the successful recovery by the Housing Department of nearly all the remaining units.
"About 20 households agreeing to move out have been given a two-week long grace period to vacate their units by November 1," the Assistant Director of Housing (Estate Management), Mr Lee Cert-quinn, said today.
A total of 15 seven-storey resettlement blocks comprising 2,176 in Blocks 14 to 18 and Blocks 25 to 34 in Lower Shek Kip Mei Estate will be cleared.
"We are pleased with the progress of today's operation, thanks to the co-operation of tenants and assistance rendered by local organisations and various government departments involved," he said.
"All recovered units were sealed. The sites have been fenced up to prevent unauthorised entry," Mr. Lee said, adding that the cleared site was earmarked for public housing development and community facilities.
To improve the living environment for residents of old-style public housing estates, the Housing Authority rolled out the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme in 1988. The demolition and redevelopment of Shek Kip Mei Estate in four phases was one of the projects under the programme.
Shek Kip Mei Estate, the birthplace of public housing in Hong Kong, was completed in two phases. Built between 1954 and 1955, Lower Shek Kip Mei Estate comprises six to seven storey H-shaped buildings with shared sanitary facilities. The blocks were redeveloped into self-contained units in the early 80s.
Upper Shek Kip Mei Estate was built in the 60s comprising seven blocks of 13-storey buildings. Every two units shared a toilet. These have already been demolished.
Under the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme, the Housing Authority has already cleared 55 older public housing estates to improve the living environment of more than 600,000 public rental housing tenants. The programme will be completed when 16 blocks of about 10,000 units in Wong Chuk Hang Estate and Lower Ngau Tau Kok (II) Estate are cleared by 2008-09 as scheduled.
Ends/Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:26
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