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<PAGE> PAGE 2
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
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SIGNATURE SARA L. BADLER
TITLE ATTORNEY
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT ON INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CONTROL
The Board of Directors and Shareholders
Van Kampen High Income Trust:
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of the Van
Kampen High Income Trust for the year ended December 31, 1999, we considered
its internal control, including control activities for safeguarding
securities, in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of
expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the
requirements of Form N-SAR, not to provide assurance on internal control.
The management of the Van Kampen High Income Trust is responsible for
establishing and maintaining internal control. In fulfilling this
responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess
the expected benefits and related costs of controls. Generally, controls that
are relevant to an audit pertain to the entity's objective of preparing
financial statements for external purposes that are fairly presented in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Those controls
include the safeguarding of assets against unauthorized acquisition, use or
disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal control, error or fraud may occur
and not be detected. Also, projection of any evaluation of internal control
to future periods is subject to the risk that it may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and
operation may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily disclose all
matters in internal control that might be material weakness under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of one or
more of the internal control components does not reduce to a relatively low
level the risk that misstatements caused by error or fraud in amounts that
would be material in relation to the financial statements being audited may
occur and not be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal
course of performing their assigned functions. However, we noted no matters
involving internal control and its operation, including controls for
safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material weaknesses as
defined above as of December 31, 1999.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management, the
Board of Directors of Van Kampen High Income Trust, and the Securities and
Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by
anyone other than these specified parties.
February 4, 2000
HIGH INCOME TRUST
An Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund was held on June 16,
1999, where shareholders voted on the election of trustees and the ratification
of KPMG LLP as the independent public accountants and the approval of the
Preferred Share split and simultaneous reduction of the liquidation preference
per Preferred Share of the Fund. With regards to the election of David C. Arch
as elected trustee by the common shareholders of the Fund 11,667,810 shares
voted in his favor and 124,368 shares withheld. With regards to the election of
Howard J Kerr as elected trustee by the common shareholders of the Fund
11,667,710 voted in his favor and 124,468 shares withheld. With regards to the
election of Dennis J. McDonnell as elected trustee by the common shareholders of
the Fund 11,667,110 shares voted in his favor and 125,068 shares withheld. The
other trustees whose terms did not expire in 1999 were: Rod Dammeyer, Don G.
Powell, Theodore A. Myers, Steven Muller, Hugo F. Sonnenschein and Wayne W.
Whalen. With regards to the ratification of KPMG LLP as the independent public
accountants for the Fund 11,622,706 shares voted in favor of the proposal,
55,980 shares voted against and 114,035 shares abstained. With regards to the
proposal to approve the Preferred Share split and simultaneous reduction of the
liquidation preference per Preferred Share, the Meeting was adjourned until July
7, 1999 and further adjourned until July 28, 1999.
NSAR ITEM 77O
1999
VK High Income Trust
10f-3 Transactions
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
UNDERWRITING # UNDERWRITING PURCHASED FROM AMOUNT OF SHARES % OF UNDERWRITING DATE OF PURCHASE
PURCHASED
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1 KMart Chase 570,000 0.228% 12/08/99
</TABLE>
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 11
<NAME> HIGH INCOME TRUST
<MULTIPLIER> 1
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1999
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 138,005,051
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 126,553,421
<RECEIVABLES> 2,749,385
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<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 13,710,760
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 13,710,760
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (380,691)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
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