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With the introduction of the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Rental Housing (PRH) Estates in August 2003, designated areas were set up at public areas in PRH estates every July and August to facilitate convenience for tenants to dry winter clothing, duvets or woolen blankets.
As the environmental condition of each individual PRH estate varied, a spokesman for the Housing Department said that the department would consult the Estate Management Advisory Committees of all PRH estates on more appropriate timing and locations for tenants to dry thicker clothing.
In designing laundry facilities for new PRH estates in recent years, the department has adopted a number of flexible approaches to blend in with the environment of each individual estate to derive at a cost-effective solution.
"Major considerations include locating the laundry facilities away from the cooking exhaust in the kitchen area; avoiding injuries to passers-by caused by falling objects from height; and enabling exposure to a moderate amount of sunlight.
"Other factors include minimizing nuisances caused by dripping laundry from upper floors and improving `the fenestration design," the spokesman said.
Following a comprehensive consultation on the above principles, the department has introduced in 2003 a series of new laundry facility design.
Laundry racks, installed at the re-entrants outside the bathroom or kitchen windows, have been included as standard provision for all newly-built PRH estates since June last year.
Meanwhile, a number of measures have been introduced to improve laundry facilities in older PRH estates.
"In August 2002, Harmony Block tenants are provided with an additional choice of installing laundry rods or strings in front of the living rooms to reconcile the tenants' concern on contamination of laundries due to cooking exhaust," the spokesman said.
"Last year, PRH tenants can apply to the estate offices for a one-off subsidy of $200 to replace their pole-socket laundry facility with laundry racks," he added.
END/Friday, January 21, 2005.
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