Self-contained flats in high-rise blocks will replace all 13 dilapidated temporary housing areas by early next century, under a proposal endorsed by the Housing Authority yesterday.
More than 18,000 flats, each with its own toilet and kitchen, would accommodate more than 45,000 people hit by natural disasters, urban clearance and those yet to qualify for public housing.
But residents might have second thoughts about moving from urban areas to the flats which are to be built in Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai.
The project estimated to cost $2.2 billion would close the book on the slum-like temporary housing areas.
Chairman Dame Rosanna Wong Yick-ming claimed high-rise blocks were needed to cope with the demand, saying: 'It's the most cost-effective and economical manner by maximising land use.
'And it is always our wish to improve the living environment of the residents,' she added.