Some 91 of the residents of the badly dilapidated Iao Hon private housing estate in the northern tip of the peninsula want the government to redevelop the property but about 55 percent don’t want to pay for it, according to a survey carried by Macau Urban Renewal Limited (MUR).
The findings of the survey were released by the government-owned company on Friday. The government-owned company said at a press conference that the survey was carried out “recently”.
The block of walk-ups built in the early 1970s comprises 2,556 residential and non-residential units in seven blocks. A total of 803 flats are occupied by non-resident workers (NRWs), most of them mainlanders, or about 30 percent of the estate’s total number of units.
Some 71 percent of the owner-occupiers of residential units complained about too many trespassers and too many NRWs living in the estate.
The research study consisted of household questionnaire interviews and a survey on the units’ current situation.
According to an MUR statement on the findings, an estimated 12,014 people live in Iao Hon Estate. On average, 5.3 people live in a flat
Two-thirds of the owner-occupiers said they would accept in-kind compensation, while nearly one-third suggested “returning to their original property after redevelopment.” Only 2.6 percent of the respondents suggested “property acquisition in cash,” indicating little interest in cash compensation.
About 30 percent of the flats are owner-occupied units and around 45 percent are tenant-occupied, while the remainder are unoccupied “or no-one answered the door,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Macau Urban Renewal Limited will be adopting a block-by-block approach to speed up redevelopment.
The survey did not cover 68 illegally built rooftop homes.
The government has said that about 4,800 old buildings need to be redeveloped or renovated.
