Taiwan's military will take delivery on Saturday of the first batch of 43 pre-fabricated houses donated by Japan, and plans to put these and other accommodation together to build a temporary community in Taichung County's Tungshih (
Major General Wang Chung-lin (
"The houses are part of 1,000 pre-fabricated structures donated by Japan to assist with Taiwan's post-quake reconstruction," Wang said. Tungshih township, one of the worst-hit regions in the quake, gets a quota of 150 such houses, 43 of which are to arrive via ship in Taichung harbor on Saturday.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, LIBERTY TIMES
"With these houses and with others yet to be delivered, the military will build a community for homeless people on a site in Tungshih, which used to house a branch of the Army 803rd Hospital," Wang said.
"With each pre-fabricated house occupying a space of eight pings (26.4 square meters), the 3.75-hectare site can accommodate a total of 235 households," he said. "The whole area will be developed as a community with all the necessary facilities for the displaced."
"Besides satisfying the basic needs of each individual household with
private toilets and kitchens, the community will also provide public facilities including an activity center, a creche, a 24-hour shopping center, a medical center, parking spaces, a post office, and security services provided at the entrance to the fenced neighborhood," he said.
"The whole design is aimed at creating a friendly environment for all the dwellers," he added.
Living space in the would-be community is to be made available to all those made homeless in Tungshih, with priority given to families who suffered heavy casualties in the quake, as well as elderly people and children who lost their parents in the disaster, officials with the MND said.
If the demand turns out to be greater than expected, the military will send in yet another 85 pre-fabricated houses, which will bring the total number to 235.
"If demand cannot be met, we will urge applicant families to try other options provided by the government," Wang said. "The options include buying units at special low prices and interest rates or renting houses with a monthly government subsidy of NT$3,000 for each household member."
"A combined use of these relocation options for quake-affected families will prevent government resources from being wasted," he added.
Meanwhile, around 5,000 soldiers are eligible for early discharge because their families suffered loss of life or severe property damage in the earthquake, said Major General Liu Wei-chi (
"These soldiers can also choose to serve out their term. If they do so, they will be transferred to units in the vicinity of their homes and be granted special leave for the restoration of their homes," Liu said.
"The military will encourage these soldiers to stay in the services since they will not only continue to receive their pay but also get special leave for the restoration purposes."
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