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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority :

The Housing Department today (July 23) appealed to the remaining residents and commercial operators of the Inverness Road Squatter Area in Kowloon City to co-operate and vacate their structures tomorrow.

The clearance of Inverness Road Squatter Area commenced last Wednesday and 39 households who requested more time to stay were given a one-week grace period ending tomorrow. A total of 281 structures have also been recovered so far.

A spokesman for the Department said that further meetings have been held with the remaining households, business operators, concern groups and members of the Legislative Council and District Council in the past week with a view to resolving the problem.

"We have made it clear that the grace period will not be extended. Any delay will affect the development programme of a school and a public housing estate scheduled for completion in 2006," the spokesman said.

The clearance of this squatter area was announced on 27 August 1999, the first major squatter clearance operation after the implementation of the Comprehensive Means Test policy in September 1998.

"So far, 317 or 95% of the 333 eligible families have accepted rehousing offers, including 225 for public rental housing, 77 for interim housing and others have joined various subsidized home ownership scheme," the spokesman added.

For business operators, 50 out of the 52 who are eligible of an ex-gratia allowance have accepted payment from $63,100 to over $1,000,000 and promised to move out.

End/Monday, July 23, 2001

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